The Host with the Most

Well, folks, it's been awhile but BOY do I have a story to tell you . . .

A couple of weeks ago I got wind of a plan to have me and my buddy Murray host the relatives. That would be Luna and Cori, whose folks were going on vacation. They talked with Mom and Dad and decided that it would be fun to have a dog vacation right here at my house. What fun!

(That's Cori's tail to the left, with Murray following.)

So Cori and Luna arrived, along with their leashes, a big plastic food container, a measuring cup and a small bottle of pills for Cori's thyroid condition. (They travel light--no beds, no bowls, no toys, and nothing to do . . . apparently they were told that we provide EVERYTHING for a good vacation here at my house.)

Once they arrived, Murray and I greeted them with lots of sniffs and tail wags and out the door we went. Our fenced backyard is a great place to greet visitors, with plenty of room to race uphill and down, play in the woods, and run races around the tree. Zoom--across the deck we'd go. Then zoom--back again and around and around. Murray's kind of slowing down now that he's 15, but even he took a few laps with the pack.

After some playtime, it became apparent that everyone needed a nap. Some of us laid in the sunshine. And some of us preferred the couch. Or a recliner. Or the rug in front of the TV. Whatever we wanted. My parents are all for good dog times.

Luna, however, has some annoying habits. She whines. She hops over the gate and runs upstairs, then insists she absolutely cannot hop over the gate in the opposite direction, but has to have someone lift her over. She does this thing called "playing with her food", and then dives head first into the catfood instead. And she sleeps in my parents' room when she visits. She's such a . . . GIRL!

And Cori? Cori's a guy. He DIGS! Boy, did he do a number on the yard--but it was all because of the Next Door Chihuahua. We hate that little guy, and we're not really sure he's a dog. Anyway, Cori decided to show him. One day we were out barking through the fence and Next Door Chihuahua is yapping his fool head off. Cori takes off digging under the fence, paws flying and dirt coming out like he's going to China. My boy gets in about chest deep, then looks over his shoulder to see my parents coming for him. He got hauled into the house and lectured. (Apparently the neighbor had CALLED them to ask if they had seen what Cori was doing, and could they PLEASE make him stop.) Kind of like a prison break! Oh, Cori, it was fun while it lasted . . . and you got away with it twice more during your time here. (Ha, ha.) Mom and Dad had to go buy big bags of rocks and fill the holes along the fence line. I smile to myself every time I see them.

We did have lots of fun while my guests were here, and I have to say I miss them now that they're gone. I spent today napping and resting up for the next visit. I can hardly wait.

Something New is Coming . . .

It's been awhile, folks, but I've been nosing around the family and have found something new . . . I'm going to be a grand-dog! (At least I think that is what it's called.) Very, very soon, my people will become grandparents. I'm preparing to be all cool when they bring the new baby to visit, although I've never really met one. I hear it is kind of like a puppy--and everyone loves pups!

In other news, summer has arrived in a big way and my pool is out again. Happy, happy wagging tails for that. It has been very hot already, and water is just what us dog guys love. Murray and I have both been in the pool, especially after barking loudly through the fence at the chihuahua next door. (Murray thinks the translation of chihuahua means "rat on stilts", but his Spanish is not so good.)

Hope you enjoyed my photos so you can get a good view of how handsome I'm looking these days. More later . . .

Hawkeye

I'm a Calendar Dog!

I am proud and so excited to tell my followers that I am one of the labs that got their picture in the Lab Rescue 2011 calendar--not once, but TWICE (i.e., bark, bark). I have the center puppy picture in March and the bottom left picture in December. First, I want to thank the Lab Rescue of the LRCP, Inc. organization which this year has rescued 750 labs and placed them in loving homes! And a special thanks goes out to their “pack mama” Carol. Please see their web page www.lab-rescue.org.

None of this would have been possible without my human godparents, Mike and Jordan. Mike rescued me from a cold Georgia night in November ‘08. Mike and Jordan became my foster parents and drove me 10 hrs to my forever home in Bowie, MD. Jordan and Mike also took the pictures that my human Dad e-mailed the calendar people. So, as we all celebrate the holidays with visions of new bones dancing in our heads, please remember the dogs who are still wishing for a good home. Adopt.
Thanks and Merry Christmas!

Hawkeye

Do Fence Me In

It’s mid-way through my second summer and it looks like this is going to be my best one ever! My people parents fenced in the backyard of our home, which has eased my access to the outdoors. Before the fence, when I went out I was tethered to the deck so I would not get lost. While it was a 30-foot line, it still prevented me from smelling and digging in parts of my yard, and only one dog at a time could go out. I wasn’t always so good at taking turns.

My parents are glad the tether is gone, as sometimes I would run around and get all tangled around trees and make them come out in the rain to untangle me (big laughing dog smile). But most important, in retrospect it prevented Murray and me from being outside at the same time. The paw-full of you that follow this blog know that my biggest gripe about Murray was his steadfast refusal to play with me. But the fence has changed that! We now almost always go out at the same time and things are OK. We pee along the fence, standing next to each other like boys do. What started as exploring the backyard together has turned into running around together. Murray has gotten a little quicker despite his years and is back in shape. I have become more lithe and muscled as I have been running laps around the crepe myrtle tree, and up and down the hill to the woods. I’ve also been known to take a flying leap onto the hammock. We play Frisbee, too, and have figured out how to haul around large chunks of firewood from the woodpile.

And get this: Murray and I treed a big gray and white cat together! The marauding cat had the nerve to get into our backyard, so we ran after him all the way up the hill into the woods at the back of the yard, where he climbed a tall tree with his claws and sat there swishing his puffed-up tail at us. (Who knew they could do THAT?!?) We stood our ground and barked and bayed and wagged—he wasn’t coming down that tree anytime soon. Well, except that the tree was close enough to the fence that he just hopped over it after awhile and ran away . . . But this was a success by dog standards. He hasn’t been back, so nyah, nyah, nyah, nyah.

While I still have my doggy wading pool from last year, I now get to play in the water stream when mom waters the flowers with the hose. Any time the hose is on, I come running. And I had a bath in my pool the other day, which I enjoyed immensely since it has been so hot.

All in all, a totally AWESOME summer and still 2 months to go! Hope you’re enjoying yours.
Hawkeye

Spring!

I'm beginning to get this "seasons" thing. First it was cold, then it warmed up, then it got hot, then the leaves fell. And then it SNOWED--lots of snow! And now it's getting warm again, with bees in the azalea bushes by the front door and the grass has been cut. So, folks, is that all the seasons? If so, swimming pool time is coming up soon, and I can hardly wait. My webbed feet are ready to paddle.

Almost every morning there are new smells to check out when dad or mom opens the door to the deck. I am spending more and more time looking outside at all the wildlife that passes through my yard. My bark is quite loud enough to keep trespassing cats at a good stand-off distance. All of us are glad of new things we can do and watch now that spring is here.

One thing I need to share with you isn't so good. As some of you know, my sister dog Daisy died on February 20, at the people age of 14. Although I knew Daisy for as long as I can remember, it was only for ~ 1 human year. So here is a link from Jordan celebrating the fluffy life of my sister Daisy:
http://jordansometimes.blogspot.com/2010/02/daisy-may.html
Daisy never really warmed up to me. My parents say it’s because my first week living with her, I pulled her by her tail all the way across the kitchen because she would not play with me. Being a puppy then (still am, I’m told) I was not aware that dogs can lose their “playing” legs when they get into double digit years (whatever that is? Sure as heck was not lectured on at Petsmart School). Anyway, most of us regret at least one thing we did out of a youthful mixture of enthusiasm and ignorance. And I regret that. Sorry, Daisy.

So that leaves me with grumpy old Murray. I've seen way too much of his snarling behavior lately--such as when I take his smoked pig ear treat, or try to eat his dinner. Can't imagine what gets into him . . . and Mom says she didn't know he could snarl like that, since he never did it until I came to live here. (I think she favors older siblings.)

So, how's your spring going? Stop by and say hello if you're out for a walk or would like to bring me a Milk Bone or two.

Excuses, excuses

I know, it has been quite a while since I posted . . . but I have an excuse or two! First, my paws may have grown too big to type. (OK, I didn't think you'd buy that one.) The second excuse is that my human parents and I were spending a great deal of time helping the Iowa Hawkeyes through the 2009 football season to a win in the Orange Bowl.

"But Hawk," you might say, "your “the Hawkeye football team has not lost since I moved to Bowie” streak was broken!" It really was not my fault; please let me explain.

First, the Northwestern Wildcats had to break the ankle of our starting quarterback and knock out our starting running back to win. Second, Northwestern has a purple wildcat that looms over their field and makes a dreadful roaring sound. Homeland Security may even have said that cat is in cahoots with the one-eyed, one-horned flying purple people eater. What is a pup to do?

"OK," you say, "I will give you that. But how can you explain the loss to the Ohio State Buckeyes? They are a bunch of nuts!" Maybe . . . but while their mascot is a nut, their football is very good. When you consider that the game was at Ohio State, and that Iowa had a freshman quarterback making his first start, and that the game went into overtime, I think my Hawkeye team did real well. Plus, Iowa shut out the Minnesota Golden Gophers for the second strait year (he, he). So you see, football season was very stressful and prevented me from blogging as I should. (Good thing I don't get all tail-waggy about basketball until March Madness--not that the Hawkeyes will even make the tournament this year.)

Now that my sporting diversions are explained, I must say I had a great holiday season. In late November my cousins Luna and Cori came up from Georgia to celebrate the first anniversary of me living in MD. Luna said they were here for Thanksgiving because it is celebrated by their human parents--leave it to a bossy girl to try and burst your bubble! Anyway, it was good to have them here at Thanksgiving, and Christmas. And Murray, Daisy and I got a whole bunch of pig ears as a gift--what a delicacy.

So what's new? SNOW! I didn't properly appreciate it last year when I was all young and kind of hairless. That cold stuff on a pup's bare tummy wasn't fun, and I got so scared when a noisy snowplow came by while I was outside that I could barely stand to go out the front door for awhile. But this year is different. We've had lots of fluffy white snow to bark at, play in, run through, and have fun in. And tonight is the motherlode of snow: two to three feet of it! Maybe taller than me, even! I can hardly wait. Will sleep with one eye open to see what happens next . . . wish us luck!

Hawkeye

A playdate for Hawkeye!

So, who says only people can have friends?
Last Saturday I was invited to my friend Dexter's house to play in his backyard. So who, you ask, is Dexter?
Dexter is an almost-year-old brown dog called a Boxer, and we met at intermediate obedience class. We liked each other, and talked during class. (That didn't go over too well, as we both got the Coke can stuffed with pennies shaken at us so we'd be quiet.) We stopped the barking, but when "socialization time" rolled around at the end of each class we'd play tug with the same toys and roll around on the floor. Turns out we're about the same weight, so it was an even match. Sometimes I got the rope, and sometimes Dexter did.
Our people saw we were having fun, and when classes came to an end my mom and dad, and Dexter's mom, decided we should get together. Apparently they have things called "schedules", though, and it took a few weeks for them to pull it off.
But before I could figure out the calendar in the kitchen, mom and dad put the leash on me and we all went in the car to Mary's house to play. Dexter was excited to have me in his home--so much so that we were quickly ushered out the back door to play. We both ran around on the deck, down the stairs, through the yard, and around in crazy circles. We pounced, we chased, we rolled in the dirt, we ran after a squirrel, we panted, and we drank water from bowls that Dexter's mom thoughtfully provided. (Boy, was she surprised to find out how much labs like to stick their feet in the bowl--guess Dexter doesn't do that!)
Mom and Dad got to hear the story of how Dexter tried to eat a bat before he had his rabies shots--that could have turned out badly, but he survived his quarantine, the bat wasn't rabid, and THEN Dexter got his shots and could come home. So glad I never met a bat!
Anyway, I'm really looking forward to another play date with Dexter in his fenced backyard. It's good to have friends.

How I Helped the Hawkeyes Beat Penn State

So, it's fall now and dog life continues. If you have been reading my blog from the beginning you know how I got the name of "Hawkeye". If you haven’t been following me all along, here’s how: the first night in my new home my parents’ college football team, the University of Iowa Hawkeyes, were on TV and beat rival Minnesota 55-0. So that very night they changed my original puppy name of Astro to Hawkeye.

Since then, the Iowa Hawkeyes have gone 4-0 in football. When last week’s Iowa vs. Penn State game started I was having a nap in my crate upstairs. Penn State was rated #5 in the country, while the Hawks were not even voted in the top 25. (Silly sportswriters--what did they know!?!) The Hawks were trailing Penn State 7-2 when I was coming down the stairs to go out. On my way down, the Hawkeyes blocked a Penn State punt and returned it for a touchdown! After coming in I joined the family to watch the game on the big TV. Iowa went on to WIN 21-10 in a huge upset. So there you have the story of how I helped the now-ranked #13 Iowa Hawkeyes keep their winning streak alive. I'm a good luck charm!

Other than that, I've been doing regular dog things. I had a birthday (I'm a year old, as of September 17), graduated from intermediate dog obedience school--although Mom says I'm not really more obedient, I've just practiced more--and I've grown bigger and stronger. I now weigh more than 60 pounds. (I know. I really need to change my blogger photo to be more accurate.) But some things never change. I"m still a bit skittish when I hear the sound of garbage trucks and school buses. I still have to dig in the couch cushions because you never know what might be under there. And I LOVE to rip through rather expensive tough dinosaur chew toys. They're even more fun when torn to shreds and you can trot around the house with various dino parts in your teeth and throw them into the air. I have perfected a great game of throwing my own tennis ball and then chasing it when no one else will play. And today all three of us dogs treed a cat! (How exciting!) This was an outdoor cat creeping through the backyard, not one of the "usual suspect" cats that live in the house with us. Oh, joy! And barking! Even if we were only looking through the back door.

More later.
Hawkeye

Too busy to blog . . .

I know it’s been 3 months since my last blog posting, but I have been very busy. First I was going to elementary dog obedience school, graduating in mid-May. (Insert scanned picture of my graduation). While my class only met once a week, I had homework assignments that took up a lot of time. Like practicing with my parents: stay, sit, down, come and drop it! I also worked on extra credit like: find mommy, find your bone, and crate. Can you believe they signed me up for the intermediate course? What more could I possibly learn!?!

A week after I graduated, I was collaterally affected by my human sister Jordan’s wedding on 24 May. She and her fiancé Mike brought both of their dogs, my BFF Cori and his sister Luna, to my house 1 week before the wedding. (Insert scanned picture of me playing with my dog cousins). Luna likes to play rough. But unfortunately for her I had been watching the Capitals vs the Penguins hockey playoff games. So if Luna was giving me a tough time I just body slammed her against the cabinets in the kitchen.

I also had to spend time in my new, blue wading pool. Even though I’m originally from Georgia, I didn’t recall it being HOT. (Maybe because I lived there in November?) Anyway, it is HOT here, and that has particular meaning for a very black dog like me—we heat up faster! We need to be cooled off in a wading pool. I learned right away to check the water with one front paw, then add one more, and then hop in with both back feet. That’s why us Labs have webbed feet—we were made for water. Within a few seconds of going out the back door I sit in the water, stick my nose under and blow bubbles, and then stand up and dig at the bottom of the pool so the water flies out! Pools are lots of fun, and you can shake water all over the deck if you really try.

Now you know why I have not been blogging.

My BFF Cory

As you can tell from my earlier blogging, I have a very good life. I have parents and a vet who take good care of me. I have people-siblings who love to play with me and bring me new toys. But unfortunately, my Maryland dog-siblings Murray and Daisy, who in people years are 12 and 13, do not ever, ever want to play with me (:

On the way to living here, I rode up from Georgia with my dog-sibling Luna. Luna can flat out play! She taught me several of my favorite games. Unfortunately, like the title of the last episode of Star Trek the Next Generation, “All Good Things Must End,” and Luna drove home after Thanksgiving with her people mom and dad, Jordan and Mike. And I was left with the stuck up, grumpy and way-too-unenergetic Daisy and Murray to not play with. Even pulling Daisy all the way across the kitchen floor by her tail would not motivate her to play with me!

Right after Christmas break Jordan and Mike discovered Luna’s only imperfection: even though she loves to play with her people and brings her A-game every time, she is not fond of snuggling. BUT, Luna had made friends with someone at Pawtropolis doggie daycare while there for Christmas vacation. Jordan and Mike liked the friend dog, and they brought him home to be part of the family. The new dog was eventually named Coriollis, or Cory for short. Everyone is happy because Cory snuggles AND plays.

Cory drove up with Jordan for spring break. He is a black and white colored boy dog about 1 year old. Cory doesn’t talk about his puppy days, but apparently he was out on his own and has a burn mark on his back to show for it (poor guy!). I have videos of me and Cory playing together (I’m the all black dog if you forgot) in my parents house--but, oops! Dad forgot to download them for me. Boy dogs just love to have FUN, and you'll have to take my word for it.

When Cory arrived at my house he had already gone through puppy “boot camp” training. He knew the proper response to the commands: SIT, DOWN, STAY, and OFF. He impressed my parents by not always pulling on the leash when being walked. At the time we met, I was always pulling my people wherever I wanted to go. So impressed were my parents by Cory’s training that I was enrolled the next week in my own puppy “boot camp” training.

During spring break Cory left my house for a few days to play with Mike’s family dog Sadie, and then went home with Jordan as Luna missed him a lot. It took me several days to stop looking for Cory at my house. But now we text each other whenever someone leaves their cell phone within paws' reach. (Don't tell!)
Hawkeye

A Typical Day in My Life

I used to wake up before my mom and dad, but since something called “daylight savings time” they now get up before I do. Mom or Dad opens the door on my crate right after the alarm goes off and the radio man starts to talk . . . and then I step half-of-the-way out and stretch my front legs. Then I step all-of-the-way out and stretch my hind legs. This is when I routinely get complemented on how much I gave grown overnight and get my leash connected to my collar.

Next, I lick whomever opened my crate door and then get up on the bed and lick whomever didn’t. Then it’s time for me to go OUT. On the way, I take a quick chew on the nearest toy, and when the bedroom door is opened I stick my head out into the hall and reconnoiter for cats. If any cats are lingering, I stare them down until they cower and slink away. (For this story, I’ll ignore the times when they fluff up their fur and hiss at me.) When my counter-cat mission is completed I make a mad dash down the stairs, pulling my person behind me. I stop at the front door and walk out on the front porch, hoping nothing scary like a big truck, a snow plow, a school bus, or a jogger is going by.

When the coast is clear I head out into the yard and, having done so much since waking, I pee right away on the grass. Then I walk into the driveway and look for the morning paper. When I see the paper, I approach it from my right side and turn my head 90 degrees towards it so my parent knows where it is. (I have no idea how they found it before I came to live here.) After that I walk around our yard looking for things to smell and sticks to nibble on. Then it’s to my secret lair, where I poop on groundcover vines. (Well hidden, but I still hope it will keep away outdoor cats and other dogs that may stop by.)

Then it’s another mad dash to the front door. Once inside I get my leash off so I can go into the kitchen where my big brother and sister have been sleeping. Once in the kitchen, I serpentine wiggle towards the laundry room where my food dish is—every inch of myself is excited about breakfast! I get 1.25 cups of puppy food and a puppy vitamin each morning. Then the laundry room door is closed so I do not steal food from my siblings, as they eat slower than I do.

When they are done eating, I am let out of the laundry room and then sprint to the community dog water bowl for much lapping and splashing—this always results in puddles. (No water in the bowl? I just dig in the metal bowl and make a ruckus until they pour more.) After that, I sit by or under my parents while they eat breakfast and read the paper that I found for them. Following their breakfast I get leashed and go OUT again for a post-breakfast voiding. (That’s British-speak for going to the bathroom). Next, I say goodbye to mom and dad takes me upstairs into my bedroom where I pretend to get tricked into going into my crate by chasing a yummy treat he tosses in for me.

I nap and chill in my crate till my dad comes home and we repeat the stretching and going OUT like when I wake up in the morning.
Next it’s into the kitchen and family room area where my big brother sniffs me (he must be losing his sight) and then tells me that although I am getting bigger he’s still Top Dog in the house. Next I go to see my dog sister, who still has not forgiven me for pulling off all the fur from the tip of her tail when I was a little puppy.

After that its PLAY time for me and dad. We play fetch, and tug, and slobber until his glasses need cleaning. Then dad gives me a CHEW toy and we watch a show he recorded for me while I was asleep (luckily I like Sci-Fi TV shows) and then we watch NCIS on the USA network (Abby is my favorite cast member, as she saves military dogs from bad things). I like to chew my toy cuddled up by my dad while he pets me in between playing with his BlackBerry and keeping track of the TV.

When mom comes home all three of us dogs bark like crazy as it means time for DINNER. Mom feeds me while dad feeds my big brother and sister. After we are done with dinner and “have taken care of business” outside its time for a short evening nap. (I strongly suspect that the people eat their dinner during this time.) After my evening nap there are hours of uninterrupted playing, walks, watching TV, chewing on toys or playing tug, going OUT and, if I’m lucky, chasing cats!

My day ends with one last trip OUT and then its upstairs to play seal. (You don’t know about the seal game? It involves a tennis ball and squirming around while writhing on the bed.) Then I let them trick me again with a yummy treat, and I get into my crate for a good night’s sleep. I am very lucky to have typical dog days that are so filled with fun and love!

Growing by leaps and bounds!

Much, much puppy news these days. I have been growing like crazy--and I have fur! No more trips to the vet for dips, no more smelly baths, and no more nakedness! My back has fur, my face and neck have fur, I have fur on my legs, and there's just soft black fur all over me. I look like I should--that is, like all the other Black Lab pups on YouTube. (Have to go with that, since I've never seen a Black Lab in these parts, and my memory of my dog mom is getting a bit fuzzy--or furry, as the case may be.) But as you can see from my lovely photo, I'm now proud of my looks. It just took awhile.

I've been learning lots of things. I'm almost trained, and go to the gate between the kitchen and the hallway when I need to go out. I have learned that those tasty little treats that come out of a red crackly bag on the upstairs bookshelf are meant just for me, and I get one every time I run to the door of my crate and wait to go in. (This involves jumping and barking because I'm so excited with the thought of those yummy little things.) And, I've learned that after a long day at work, Mom and Dad will spend hours playing with me in the evening--but if I go nuts and "get bitey", I have to go into my crate. I've also learned to jump up on the bed and wake Mom up in the morning, because Dad almost always hears me first. I've learned to walk on the leash and not act like an idiot, and walks in the neighborhood are pretty enjoyable. I've learned that it is hard to walk on ice, and that you fall down if you run on it. And another thing: I eat in the laundry room by myself, and am left there for a few minutes while the big dogs eat. When someone comes to the door to let me back into the family room, I hold my dish in my mouth and look cute--and I've learned that I get extra hugs and pats for that.

Now, for what everyone else in the house has learned lately. First, teething dogs are hell on shoestrings and Mom and Dad wear them at great risk. Pups can be easily distracted by cats, which results in a chase either up or down past the person walking on the stairs. A 20-pound bag of Science Diet Large Puppy dog food doesn't last long. Shopping at PetSmart is an activity, not a spectator sport. And, of course, my basic Lab need to chomp on something has resulted in a slight hole in the leather couch, a stuffed squirrel with no more tail, and a VERY large and tough Pterodactyl dog toy which is always underfoot in the family room. They've also learned I am now tall enough to reach things on the kitchen counter, and were quite surprised to find me grabbing leftovers from the kitchen sink as they disappeared down the garbage disposal. Mom cannot run it when I'm in the room until I learn better kitchen manners!

So, what have you learned lately?

Hawkeye

About time!

So, my first holidays have passed and I've heard several pointed comments about my lack of blogging. OK, so I've been busy . . .

Mom has had her hands full, what with my constant growing, eating, barking, ball chasing, and yes, trips to the vet. I've been a bit ashamed to post a photo. Shortly after my last blog Mom discovered that the little wrinkles on my forehead were really quite naked--and getting more so. Not only did my skin show through my wrinkles, but I was going bald! During a trip to the nice vet people at A.P.A.W. (All Paws Are Welcome, of course), they quickly diagnosed me with Demodex mites. Which they say I got from my Dog Mom. She probably didn't know she gave me mites, cause she had her paws full with a new litter of pups. But I've had a really good case of them. My fur fell out!

So, all of that led to weekly "dips" at the vet every Friday. Which I prefer to think of as a dog spa. Mmmm, friendly people who greet me at the door, a medicated bath, air drying in a nice warm place, and fresh towels and puppy blankets in my crate when I get home. Once they even gave me a red and black paw-print bandana to tie around my neck 'cause I looked so naked! Of course, there are nice chewy vitamins to take with breakfast, too. They taste good, but somehow I keep forgetting that as I gulp them down so I can get to the kibble.

After all that, my fur is starting to grow back on my face and around my eyes. My elbows, belly, knees, and neck are still a bit naked, but these things take time. Dad says I have a cookies-and-cream complexion, since my white skin is showing through the thin black fur!

But, I am growing up to be a big Black Lab. I had playtime with Luna for Christmas. I chase cats on the stairs daily. I love tennis balls. I'm pretty well house broken. I'm getting the hang of going for a walk without grabbing the leash in my mouth, sitting down on the sidewalk, or trying to pull my head out of my collar. And I'm still attempting to play with Murray and Daisy, the old dogs in my house--but they're pretty standoffish and either ignore me or growl. I'm ever hopeful that they really don't hate me. (Sometimes I'm pretty hard to take, what with the jumping and barking and teething and running into walls while playing fetch.)

I do like my family and I'm glad to have a good home. I promise to write more, and even post a photo or two when more fur grows in!
Hawkeye

Exploring the world . . .

OK. so I'm growing by leaps and bounds. Every time I stretch after a nap, someone says, "Oh, you've grown." I certainly feel bigger. . . but Mom says I have to watch that eating from the other dogs' breakfast bowl . . . and the cats' bowl, too. Way, way too much on top of my half-cup of puppy food! So now all those other bowls are sitting on the kitchen counter and I'm put in the laundry room while everyone else eats. Oh, well. This manners thing is weird.

Yesterday was Thanksgiving, and I got to spend a couple of hours napping in my crate while everyone else went to dinner somewhere. I'm missing my playmate Luna, who is now visiting Mike's parents. Somehow, sneaking up and pulling fur out of the tail of a sleeping Sheltie just isn't as much fun as wrestling with another pup--although it surely does get a reaction!

This morning I woke up early to play with Dad, went for a walk, and met the neighbors. The sun is out, there are leaves to chase, and the world is a pretty good place. Mom says I need to get out and meet people, and I'm all for that!
Hawkeye

Hawkeye's First Blog

Welcome to my new blog! I am a 10-week-old Black Lab (and maybe something else?) who has had some interesting experiences in finding my "forever home". Here's my story so far . . .

This is my third day in Maryland, after a long car ride north from Georgia. Maybe I woof with a drawl, or maybe its just high pitched puppy barks.

In the last week I was given away by the side of the road, picked up by a young girl whose grandparents said she couldn't keep me in the house, and left in the front yard in a milk crate with a blanket. A nice young man named Mike saw me, and asked if he could bring me to his house since it was going to be below freezing that night. However, he and the friendly woman at his house already had a puppy, and they set about finding me a kind new family. They called and e-mailed their friends and family, and someone in Maryland said they'd be happy to take me. I visited the vet and got shots in preparation (oh, darn!) and spent my last days in Georgia learning that carpets are not better than grass when duty calls . . . There were tummy rubs, chew toys, and rough and tumble games with the other dog, Luna. Fun times--until Friday night when my new family in Maryland said they didn't want me after all. That's sad.

On Saturday, Luna and I got in the car with Jordan and started north to visit family. The plan was to find someone else I could live with. More calls and text messages on the way to Maryland, but still no home for me. Hey, I'm little and no one explained all that, so I didn't worry too much. I rode in my crate like a trooper, with stops to eat, play and go out, and life was good. Finally we got to Maryland. Jordan scooped me up in her arms and handed me to her mother, who said the words I'd been waiting to hear: "Awww, we'll take him." Much licking and snuggling, and barking and jumping. (No one told me ahead of time that my new home would have an aging Sheltie, a slightly younger golden retriever mix, and two stuck-up cats.)

So, that was Saturday and today is Wednesday. We're all doing well and I'm becoming a true Yankee. We shopped at PetSmart, and I got to go along. I kept my crate, my puppy kibble tastes exactly the same, and I've already got the hang of walking on a leash and not peeing under the table or in the other dog's bed (at least some of the time).

Oh, and my new name is Hawkeye, in honor of my Mom and Dad's University of Iowa alma mater. Their team was playing football the Saturday night I arrived, and beat Minnesota 55-0. (Good thing the Iowa Hawkeyes won, as I sure would not have liked being named after a Minnesota Golden Gopher!)

My paws are tired of typing, but I'll be sure to keep you posted on how life is going. Bookmark my blog.

Hawkeye