It's a marvelous night for a moondance....

So, wow! What a big day we had!  I knew something special was going on right away because I missed my morning nap! Oh, boy, oh, boy!  We got in the car and it was one of those things where there's all kinds of hoomans and dogs and stuff going on.  

Lots of people came to pet me, lots and lots.  And there were gagillions of dogs, too!  There were little tiny ones......

And there were medium ones, like me!

And even a great, big, giant dog! 

I got really, really tired.  But I had my suppertime when I got home and Mom gave me ice cream!  Yay! My favorite!  I'm still a little tired today, but I had a really good time!

The Octoberfest could not have been held on a nicer day.  It was simply gorgeous, with a clear, blue sky, some fall color in the trees and perfect weather.

Many thanks to all of the people who bought Harry's books - especially because every purchase results in a donation to Almost Home Dog Rescue of New Jersey, the same folks who rescued our boy!  And thank you, too, to the people who made donations.

Harry was so distracted, I even got to take his picture (Harry HATES his picture taken) and so did someone else!

He was not his usual, bouncy self this morning - he is playing bed bug today.  But I'm sure he will be back to doing wiggle worm by morning.

 

 

I came to travel upon a road that was thorned and narrow....

Doot, doot, doo.  Dum diddy dum.  Walking with my pack.  It's really nice out.  I just had my suppertime, which was way yumbers.  I saw my buddy, Snow, this morning.  Nobody else is around right now.  Oh, hey!  Let's go by the creek.  There's always fun stuff to sniff over there....  Yipes!  What was that?  Ow, my foot hurts.  Let me see....I can walk. Sort of.  Ow! No, it really hurts!!!  

Then what ever it is goes away, but it comes back.  I have to keep lifting my leg up.  But I made it home.  Mom is washing my foot and I don't know what Dad is doing.  He isn't taking a picture of my foot, but he is holding something up to it.....hmmmm.  

All that fuss, but it still burns!  It's making me crazy!  I WANT TO PULL MY CLAWS OUT! Agggghhhhhh!

It was a perfectly gorgeous autumn afternoon and Harry was enjoying the evening walk.  Then I saw him look up at me.....wha???  He started lifting his back foot and trying to bop around on three legs.  Uh oh.  We tried our best to check his paw, between the pads, on the pads.  I couldn't see anything.

He managed to get home but was clearly uncomfortable.  So, I soaked a paper towel in warm water and wiped down his foot.  He was still miserable.  We turned all the lights up and got a magnifying glass and inspected his paw.  Nothing.  I was worried there was a sliver of glass embedded that we couldn't see.

With that, my husband walked back to the place where I told him Harry looked at me with alarm.  It was barberry.  Barberry is a thorny bush and someone had just trimmed one but didn't clean up very well.  I've been pricked by barberry, so I know that it can sting and burn for quite some time.  But at least we knew what it was and that the discomfort would be temporary.

Yes, indeed!  Our boy was his happy self again in the morning.  He even did wiggle worm across the bedroom floor!

Be careful out there!

( blog title lyrics from "Play Me"  Diamond, N. 1972)

As long as I'm with you, it's a lovely day.

My happy meter was going strong this morning.  I did wiggle worm before we went outside.  It was MY kind of day!  No snow, no rain, not too hot, not too cold.  JUST RIGHT!!!  I got to chase a couple of chipmunks, too! Haha.

And besides the great weather, something special was going on.  I got presents!  I got fancy biscuits with frosting on them!  Yumbers!  And a new toy!  Mom had to show me what to do.  It has treats hidden inside and I have to get at them!  Like my other toy, but different.  Hmmmm.  I'm a pretty smart guy.  I will figure it out.

Wow! This was a fun day!

Today was Harry's "official" birthday! Of course, we don't really know which day is his REAL birthday, but we had to decide on one for the Dogtor to keep records.  And, we decided on September 21 because we thought Harry was about two years old at that time.  Except he is younger.  :)   In time, we realized that although they said he was about one and half years when he came to us, he was really about a year.  So, Harry is now four and a half, but celebrating his fifth birthday!  Izz ok. No big deal.

He was a happy boy today - raring to go on his morning walk.  We got him a travel water bottle for when we go to the park or on trips or have events.  He won't know how much he likes that until we use it.

And he has a bunch of gourmet doggie biscuits with yogurt frosting!

Best of all, he has another interactive toy.  So now he has two things that he has to think about to play with, but he gets rewarded with tiny treats.

Happy Birthday, Mr. Spotter!

Don't worry, baby......

Oooooohhhh. My tummy doesn't feel so good.  Bleh.  It isn't time for me to go out, but I have to go....now!  Mom?  Mom?   I have to go out!  Please!  Oh, boy....oh, boy.  She understands me!  She speaks Spotter!! Yay!  Here comes my leash.......Phew!  Just in time!  

My suppertime is different today.  Mom is cooking, just for me.  Even though I don't feel so good, I know I'm a lucky boy!  Chicken and rice, just for me.   Mmmmmmmm.  Thanks, Mom.
 

Harry had the runs for two entire days.  I think it's because he chews on grass and the sad fact is that the management here puts too many chemicals on the ground.  I always keep some quick cooking rice on hand for situations such as this.  Poor boy, he was wimpering a bit and made me feel terrible.  If he hadn't improved, we would have gone to the dogtor.  But he bounced back pretty fast once he had a couple of "chicken soup for dogs" meals. 

I watched him closely, particularly to see if he needed to run outside.  He has gotten much better at communicating that to us - and now he runs for the door and puts his nose up to the doorknob!  Yes, Harry, I get the message, loud and clear!

And then he kissed me...

Oh, boy! Afternoon walk! The best thing about the afternoon walk is my treat. I always get a treat when we get back home.  It's really hot today, so I hope I get my special ice cream!  Yumbers! 

Oh, hey! There's Joey's Mom.  I have to say "hello."  Joey isn't outside, but I'll say hello to his Mom anyway.  Joey is one of the little dogs who doesn't go crazy when he sees me.  He is friendly and nice even though he's as small as a cat!  

Oh, Mom, why do you have to talk so long?  I want to get inside where it's cool and comfy.  

But there's Simba again!  Oh, boy!  Hi, Simba!  I'm just going to say "hi" and have Dad walk me home because Mom is taking too long!  So long, Simba.   Turning the corner now to get home....I'll just turn around to see if Mom is coming yet.  Hey, wait!  What?  Simba is kissing my Mom!  Hmmmmmm.   

Well, here she comes at last.  About time, Mom!  Gee.

We are in the middle of a heat wave and generally cutting our walks a bit short because of it.  But polite Harry has to say "hello" to the people he knows.  We were chatting with little Joey's Mom (he's a Yorkie) when Simba came along.  He was being walked by the "dog walking lady" in our neighborhood - it's what she does for a living.  She already knew that Simba and Harry had met before.  The boys sniffed and wagged their happy meters, but Harry was in a hurry to get inside, so off he went with Dad.

I gave Simba a pat on his head.  As I did, I bent down a little.  The next thing I knew, I got slurped from chin to nose!  The dog walker said, "WOW!  You really rate!"  Simba even tried to follow me home!  He's improving each day.  Sweet Simba.

 

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?