There's a new kid in town...

Dum dee dumm  dummm, we were taking our morning walk.  I have lots of buddies here, but I hardly ever see them in the morning. Haha, that's cause I wake up my pack just as the sun comes up!  So, it is usually really, really quiet.

But one day, there was a man and a dog up ahead.  This dog was a little bigger than I am!  He's new here.  He looked a little sad.  :(  But, I'm a friendly guy (and polite, too!) so I knew that I should be quiet and gentle.

We s-l-o-w-l-y came up to each other and sniffed noses.  Yay!  His happy meter started!  Mine was already going.

I've seen him a couple of times now, so when he sees me his happy meter starts right away!  I guess I have a new friend!

His name is Simba.  He is a pit bull.  He is a lovely caramel color with white paws and some on his chest and face.  The first time we saw him, his owner, from a distance, explained that he had been abused and was afraid of men and other dogs.  But, he agreed to give an approach a try.

Harry has an innate sense about people and other dogs.  He approached cautiously and gave Simba a little room so that they both reached their noses out to one another.  With that, the tails started wagging on both ends!  Simba even allowed me to pet him gently on his head.  He has such a sad expression, it breaks my heart.

Since that first successful meeting there have been a few more, each one slightly more relaxed than the last.  Poor, sweet Simba.  He has a loving home now and a doggie buddy!  Welcome to the neighborbood, Simba!
 

It's all in the game.

Haha, I do this thing with my hoomans.  It's fun!  When I get a special treat, like a bone or a dental stick, I run to the bedroom with it.  But I don't eat it right away.  I yell a little.  That way someone comes in to check on me!  I did this enough times that I have Mom and Dad trained now.  So then what happens is they take the treat away from me.  Yeah!  But it's ok because it's just a game. My happy meter starts going and I have to find out where my treat went!  Sometimes Mom throws it so I have to chase after it.  I'm so glad I was able to train them to play with me!

Harry has a bunch of toys that he doesn't play with.  It seems that he was never taught how to play as a puppy.  We've tried.  If I throw a ball or a frisbee for him, he just looks at me like I landed from Mars. 

But Harry has also developed a sense of play and humor.  It started when he didn't really want to go outside for his walks, so I had to coax and cajole him. But he can no longer deny that he knows the words "out" and "up." So, while he still tries to pretend that he is incapable of walking, he gets up and out much more quickly now.

He has invented a new game for us to play.  It's called, "Take My Treat, Please!"  Twice a day, he gets a special treat.  At noontime it is a dental stick and after his suppertime, it can be a variety of things, from a chewy "bone" to doggie ice cream.  He never jokes about his ice cream.  But all the others now require that we go through the usual ritual of having him sit and raise his paw before getting his treat.  Then he runs off with his prize, into the bedroom.  In a very short while, he starts barking.  That is our cue to go in and pretend to take his treat away.  I usually hide it in a pocket or the back waistband of my pants.  So, when I show him my hands, there is no treat to be seen!  His tail starts going and he enters "play" mode -- butt up in the air, head jostling from side to side. Where is it? Where did it go?  After we search around for a bit, I throw it across the room for him to fetch. At this point, he happily chows down.

I wonder what he will think of next?