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!