Who wants to be smarter than me?

Wow, check out this book - it's about dogs and math!  Don't those dogs look somewhat smart?  Of course, they're not quite as smart as me, but that's OK.

Most dogs are smart cookies.  For example, I have excellent eyesight, hearing and smell - that explains why I am on top of what's happening in my world.  I kind of know a little bit about math, but that's an area of weakness for us dogs.

For example, I get 2 dinners and 2 desserts every day.  If my Mom or Dad try to cheat me, I'm on the case - I let my needs known by sitting near my food bowl (for my Mom) or barking and jumping (for my Dad). 

This is what worries me:

My Mom gives me one cup of food in the morning and one cup of food in the late afternoon.  How do I know if I'm getting enough dog food?  I can't count the pieces or weigh the food.  WHAT IF I DON'T GET ENOUGH FOOD? 

Now you're really lucky - you can count, add, subtract, etc.  However, you do need to MEMORIZE your math facts so you don't get CHEATED - like I could.

Like I always say, the smarter you are, the happier you are.  MEMORIZE your math facts as soon as possible so you can succeed in school.  My Mom is a teacher, and she tells me that it makes a HUGE difference when her students have MEMORIZED their math facts.  Being an intelligent dog, I ALWAYS listen to what my Mom says so you should, too, especially when it comes to those math facts.  Start practicing now - right away.  Otherwise, it could be RUFF going in school next year.

Casey Makes His 2nd Guest Appearance!!!!

Hello folks, it's Casey again, here to answer another one of life's questions.

As you may have guessed, I am a very important Dog. So it is with great pleasure that I write to help Dogs and People who may not have the means to assist themselves. Todays topic is: siblings.

I have the great honor of living with a Tabby Cat named Scout. Scout is a beautiful black and white cat with four white paws. She is about twenty-one months old and still displays the astute curiosity that she was born with. At first I was not too happy about having a new sister, especially one of the feline species. You see, I had another sister of the feline species, named Tilly, about four years ago. She was yet again another black and white tabby. Tilly was tough as nails, but had a great disposition. From time to time Tilly would tease me, but I loved her still. Sadly, she passed away about four years ago, around the age of twenty-one. After she passed, I got accustomed to having the house to myself- having undivided attention from the owners was also a plus! So, it comes as so no surprise to anyone that I felt a little threatened by the thought of another animal in the house. When they brought the new cat home it was a total shock to me. One day my family was getting ready to leave and said to me "We'll be right back" and before you could bark they were back with a Kitten! At first it was alright; they kept the kitten confined to one room for a whole week. But then they let the beast out!

Scout was a little nervous of being around a dog at first. I would approach her and she would arch her back, fluff out her tail, and start hissing at me. I took a hint from that and did not approach her until she felt comfortable with me. It took a while but she eventually got used to being around a dog and I got used to living with another cat. Now we are the best of friends! We fight with each other from time to time like any brother and sister do, but we love each other. One of our favorite ways to spend time together is to sit at the front door and watch the dogs and people walk by.

 

Look out - you might see me at YOUR door some day!

Here's a question for you:  if you saw me at your door, would your be scared?  That's what I thought, and that's why I don't understand why the bunnies don't run away when they see me at the back sliding door because, let's face it - I'm BIG and SCARY looking.

In real life though, I'm AFRAID of MEN and MOST CATS, but I'm always HAPPY to see my friends and family and you - I love when you visit my blog!

Any way, I have told you how I LOVE to be out on my front lawn as much as possible.  Well, some times, I want to come back in the house.  There are 2 ways I accomplish this:

1.  I bark.  Any time I bark outside, my Mom comes running - she thinks I'm making too much noise; when in reality, I'm just warning her of a possible concern like the ice cream truck, the mailman, the UPS truck, a person I don't know who is walking by....  Some times, I'm just telling her I want to come in the house.

2.  I stand up and look in the door.  I choose this method when I can hear someone in the house.  Dogs have excellent hearing, by the way, so I can hear my family's footsteps or voices.


Like I always say, ask for what you want in a calm and appropriate way.  If I could talk, I would say "please."  The worst thing that can happen is the person will say, "NO."  That's not so bad because you tried to ask.  Also, make sure to say "thank you" if the person says yes.  I can't say "thank you," but I wag my tail, and some times, I give the person a BIG slobbery kiss - especially if they give me what I want, like a TREAT!

My Grandfather and Aunt came to visit today!

Today was a most EXCITING day!  First, my Grandfather came, and he always brings Munchkins for me - he kept throwing them on the floor, and I happily retrieved them all.  He even gave me a treat.  Then my Aunt came, and I was so EXCITED to see her that I cried with joy.  This is what she said to my Mom:  "I only tolerate this dog."  I even know what that means - she doesn't like me.  I'm such a happy dog, and I am so happy to see my Aunt, but how can she not like me back? 



Like I always say, not everyone is going to love or like you.  It's a sad realization but a true one.  Of course, you should always be kind and respectful to everyone; that doesn't mean that they're going to like you back.  You can't change how other people feel about you, but that doesn't mean that I'm going to give up trying to convince them to like me.

What matters THE MOST is that MY FAMILY LOVES ME.  Remember:  they're the people who you can count on to LOVE YOU FOR WHO YOU ARE.  We sure are lucky to have our families!

I'm even luckier because I have BLOGGING BUDDIES who love to read my blog - keep on reading because I LOVE when you visit!

A Visit from my Dad's Friend, Dale

This week I have been a very HOT dog again!  It's a good thing for that machine that blows out the cool air and lots of water - wearing a fur coat makes a dog feel the heat even more.

On a more exciting note, my Dad's friend from college came to visit.  His name is Dale, and he came all the way from Canada - I don't know where that is, but it must be FAR away.  Any way, Dale has 2 dogs in his family, but they're little dogs - he says that he gives them treats.  WHAT ABOUT ME?  I WOULD HAVE LIKED SOME TREATS FROM ANOTHER COUNTRY!  Oh well, I still did my circle dance - that's when I'm super happy, and I run really fast in a big circle, and I make a growl sound.  I only do this on special occasions so Dale - even though he forgot my treat - should feel very honored and special.

Here's a picture of Dale and me in front of my house.

Like I always say, be happy when you meet someone new.  It's important to make the person feel welcomed and important.  When anyone in my family comes home, I make a HUGE fuss over them EVERY SINGLE TIME.  I want to make sure that they know how HAPPY I am to see them.  Try it today - be HAPPY to see your family and friends - make sure they can tell that you're REALLY HAPPY to see them.  Then they'll be even HAPPIER to see you.  It's another WIN-WIN situation.
Remember:  I'm always VERY HAPPY when you read my blog - so make sure to visit my blog any time you want.

How I Eat My Food - Slowly - From A Ball

Well, remember how much I LOVE to eat?  Any way, I used to inhale my food.  I used to be done eating my dinner in a few seconds at the most.  My Mom decided that I needed to slow down and enjoy my food so now she puts my food in this handy orange ball. 

That orange ball has my dinner in it:

To get my food, I have to push the ball around with my snout, and some pieces fall out.  I eat those pieces, and then I push the ball some more.....until I eat ALL my food.  The good part is that my dinner lasts for a few minutes instead of a few seconds.

Like I always say, eat S-L-O-W-L-Y.  It's better to enjoy every bit of your food.  Plus, it is better manners to put just a small amount of food in your mouth at one time.  Make sure to eat ALL of your dinner - especially the HEALTHY parts.  For me, that's easy - ALL my food is healthy and delicious - that's why I LOVE to eat! 
 

The Dog Park Is Delightful!

This morning my Mom took me to the Dog Park - I LOVE THE DOG PARK!  I get to run around with my friend, Toby, and I get to play with Dillon's ball.  I was making his ball bounce around in the dirt, and my nose got covered in dirt.  That's OK with me because I LOVE DIRT, TOO.  Nothing's better than the feel and smell of dirt any day of the week.

During the week, one of my Mom's magazines fell on my bed.  Well, I was not going to put up with that!  So I just kept "talking" to her all night, and she tried to ignore me, but FINALLY, she got the message and got up.  I pointed to my bed with my snout, and she FINALLY removed the magazine.  That was EXCELLENT news to me so I just circled around on my bed and fell asleep.  Of course, my Mom was not exactly happy with me so we went for a VERY EARLY MORNING walk.

See my bed on the floor?  My Dad picked it out, but I refused to sleep on it until this  cozy blanket was put on it.




Like I always say, stick up for yourself.  If you don't let someone know what's bothering you, NOTHING will happen, and this is not a good idea.  I can bet that my bed will have nothing on it from now on.  Speaking of beds, make sure to keep your bed clean, too - it's much more comfortable, and it looks better -- even better if you make it.  I can't make my bed myself so my Mom does it for me.  Wow, I sure do appreciate my Mom - make sure to appreciate your Mom today - then you can thank me for my EXCELLENT advice.

A Perfect Gift for my Mom - and, I'm Part of the Gift!

Do you see that picture behind my head?  That is a picture of a black dog in a canoe - it's a black dog just like me!  A student in my Mom's class gave her this picture as an end of the year gift, and I have to say it's perfect for her because there's a dog just like me in it.

Also, as you can see, I'm trying to relax on the couch, and my Mom and brother are annoying me because they want to take a picture.  I don't mind having my picture taken, but I wish they would respect my private time - a dog does need to rest and relax once in a while.

Like I always say, make sure to take a break when you need one - even if it's just 5 minutes.  It's important to rest your body and your mind so you can be at your best.  Also, if someone is resting and relaxing, leave them alone - let that person rest quietly - unless, of course, you're having an emergency such as you're about to be sick to your stomach or you're going to faint.  Then, you have no choice except to interrupt the other person.  Otherwise, you can wait a few minutes until the person is done resting.  Remember:  everyone needs a break, especially a dog, unless you want to give me a treat - I don't might being interrupted for that - even if I'm relaxing.

Announcing the Official Hot Dog Days of Summer!

If you live in my area of the world, the word of the day is HOT; as in, the weather is VERY HOT!  Luckily, my family has this machine that blows cool air onto me so that's my new favorite place in the house.  I still like to go outside, too, even though it is HOT:

Don't I look HOT to you?  Any way, here's an interesting fact about dogs:  dogs don't sweat; we let the heat out through our mouths - that explains why my mouth is open in this picture.

Imagine this:  wearing a fur coat in the summer.

Next, imagine this:  firefighters wear 50 pounds of equipment when they have to fight a roaring fire.  (This information came from a parent, Mr. McCabe, who spoke to the 3rd graders in my Mom's class.)

Like I always say, everything is relative.  That means if you think you're HOT, there's always someone who is HOTTER than you.  Imagine wearing that fur coat or being face to face with a fire.  Now don't you feel cooler already? 

 I LOVE THIS MACHINE THAT BLOWS OUT COOL AIR - WHAT A RELIEF FOR A DOG WEARING A FUR COAT!   I SURE DO LOVE BEING A COOL DOG INSTEAD OF A HOT DOG.


 

My front yard = my favorite place

If the weather cooperated, I would spend every day in my front yard.  There's so much to see - cars driving by, people walking by with their dogs, the mailman, the UPS truck, Midnight the Cat, bunnies, etc.  I just love to know what's going on so I can protect my family and my neighborhood.  You might not know this, but dogs are ALWAYS working to keep their families safe and sound.  We have an important job to do every day, and we are ALWAYS happy to do this.

One of the perks of my job is that I can lay down.  In the summer, when it's hot outside, I dig out the grass so I can lay on the cool dirt.  You see, pigs have the right idea - rolling in mud - which is only wet dirt.  It does keep you cooler.  Here's the special spot I made for myself right on the front lawn:

Like I always say, take good care of  your family - they're the people you can always count on in any situation.  Also, remember to be aware of what's going on around you so you can keep yourself safe, too.  It's always a great idea to pay attention to the world around you because there's always something fascinating to see and learn.  Try to spend as much time outside as possible, especially when the weather is good.  Wow, I sure have a lot to say today!