Canine Good Citizen

Bonsai and Grant have both passed the Canine Good Citizen test! Almost comical since the both tend to misbehave so much. It's funny because they both (especially Bonsai) know how to put their game face on when it counts. They are almost like different dogs when they are in testing mode. This is the first step for me to be able to volunteer with them.

Escape from Alcatraz

...not really, just from my backyard. Bonsai once again has caused me heart ache and grief. I learned a few months ago that Bonsai has been scaling the 6' fence into my neighbor's yard. I placed a 3" PVC pipe what I slit open lengthwise on top of the boards that he was scaling over. It created a very slippery, rounded surface so he couldn't grip with his front paws. I thought the problem was solved. My neighbor just told me he has still been doing it for weeks. The PVC pipe is no longer working. I have personally witnessed him scale the fence with the pipe in place. This time it came with some consequences. My neighbor has some t-posts in her yard next to the fence. Bonsai got caught on the post on his way down and ripped his side open in 2 spots.

I guess it's back to the drawing board to find ways to keep him contained...

MY DOG IS INSANE!

This last weekend, I learned something new about my dog Bonsai.
He hates when you spin around in circles. My nephew and I held hands
and were spinning around in circles just playing around. Out of nowhere
Bonsai comes hauling ass at us and broke through our linked arms and
jumped on me and almost knocked me flat on my ass. I have added it to
the list of things I can't do in his presence...or have to restrain him
when others are doing these things:

1.) Swinging
2.) Piggy back rides
3.) Jump roping
4.) Swimming
5.) Tossing babies/kids in the air
6.) Horseplay of any kind
and now....
7.) Spinning

I am not sure what he is capable of doing when he catches you
doing any of the listed items above, but I do know he can go
ape-shit. He did nip at my friend's shirt when he was jump roping
and ripped a nice size whole in it and knocked my poor niece off
a swing once. What a freak.

California Dog

It's a beautiful winter Sunday morning in February but the sun is shining, it's nice and warm, and my dog is eating an orange...can it get any better?

Happy 4th of July?!?

Not for my dogs. It was definitely not a good day for Bonsai. I love this time of year, you have the hot summer days, BBQ, swimming in the pool....and fireworks! My dogs go nuts when they hear loud noises, especially fireworks. I will bring them inside the house on these days and take them with me wherever I go to watch the firework show. One year I was a little slow on bringing the dogs in and poor Granite got so scared he chewed a hole in the fence with lighting speed and escaped. Luckily after an hour or so of walking through the neighborhood calling out for him and squeaking his favorite squeak toy...I found him hiding under a car. Now I have learned my lesson. I thought he would be OK since it was still very early and the sun was still out. I guess people will light those things off at any time of day.

Well, this year I decided that I would leave the dogs at home in my bedroom for the night. I just wanted to have an evening out without having to deal with 2 dogs in tow. I crated Granite up and left Bonsai in my bedroom. When I got home everything seemed to be OK until I went in the bathroom. Bonsai had gone ape shit in there! He ripped the hanging mirror off the wall (which he had to jump on my bathroom counter to get to), knocked over my jewelry box, perfume bottles, several plants including a very prickly cactus and just about everything that was on the counter. It looked like a mini tornado had passed through. Luckily nothing was broken, not even the mirror. I have no idea how he managed not to break it. I wish I had taken a picture of the mess. This was a total surprise to me, Bonsai is almost 7 years old an has never done anything like this before. Now I have learned another lesson...