Home Again Home Again Jiggety Jig!

Hello Fellow Doggers!

I’ve been sprung from Doggie Central! I’m home. Mama and Daddy came home early!

They were so eager to see me that they decided to cut their little trip short. ( It had nothing to do with the fact that their hotel had ants and they’d already changed rooms twice, that they’d seen all there was to see at the Sequoia National Forest, that Mama was sick to death of driving up and down winding Mountain roads with death as a certainty drop offs! It had nothing to do with any of that!)

Here I am Home again!

I’m exhausted! Daddy’s giving me a much needed scratch behind the ears and it’s just heavenly!

Well, I made it fellow doggers. I want to thank you for your support during my jail travail.

Honestly, I don’t know what I would have done without you. Yes, I was the Alpha over there, but I’d rather be the low man on the totem pole here at home.

Well, I’m sleepy again. I’ll be sleeping a lot for a little while.

Catch you later,

Opie

Parolee #007

Day 2 — Letters from a Doggie inmate

Hi all,

It’s me prisoner, I mean, guest #007 at Doggie Central.

I passed a quiet night here at Doggie Central. Interestingly enough, I seem to have graduated from the super small dog size of the place to the medium sized dog side of the place.

I don’t really mind. I just hope Mama can find me when she goes on the webcam.

If she finds me, she might find me showing everyone who is boss.

She might even catch me getting my Bone tattoo on my belly. I’m getting a nice meaty looking one. I had to trade the Dachshund 2 greenies for it, but I think it will be a rockin’ cool tat! It makes me look tough. Not that I’m not tough! I am very, very tough!

This is the really good side of the place. We have a direct route outside. As you can see, some of my subjects are cavorting outside. I like being able to go in and out at will. Obviously, only the very best dogs can be trusted like this.

Unfortunately, the pug has been placed in solitary confinement. They found his tunnel. Poor mutt! It’s too bad. But if you do the crime, you have do the time! I can hear him whining about his innocence.

Dude, they caught you with your paws in the drywall! Enough already!

I have a new cell mate! You can see him in the picture – the beagle taking a nap on the yellow platform. He’s very cool. He howls all night! That’s why he’s sleeping now. I don’t mind too much. He doesn’t sound like Johnny Cash. He’s more of a Kurt Cobain type singer. He makes me feel a little home sick – my hu-brother Gregory is a Nirvana fan.

I asked one of the dogs about the place that Mom, Dad and the boys went to. He’s been. He says I’m not missing too much. It’s a national park and while dogs are allowed, he’s not keen on any place where he might have to wear a bear bell. I know what a bell is. But what’s a bear? I’ve asked all the dogs in here.None of us know.

I’ll have to ask Mama when she comes back.  Maybe it’s a new breed of squirrel.

If any of you guys can explain what a bear is, please let me know. I really like to be up on my squirrel knowledge.

Anyway, I’ve got to run fellow doggers. It’s chow time, and they always over feed me. Tee Hee!

Sniffs and Licks,

Opie

Inmate #007

What do you mean I’m going to school?

 

Hey Fellow Doggers,

It looks like I’m really going to do it. Mama is going to sign me up for school. She’s trying to decide right now if we’ll go Saturdays or take an evening class during the week. She hasn’t called the school yet, but she’s read all of their reviews on YELP and they have more good reviews than bad! So, we’re going to Zoom Room!

Frankly, I think the big draw is that they are right next to Doggy Central, my doggy day care and boarding place. Mama has high hopes for me. She says I’m kind of an advanced student. Unlike the other dogs, I’m firmly on the right track. I just wander off it from time to time. Tee Hee!

You see. I can sit 80% of the time and stay about 75% of the time. Ever since Mama saw Santa and her buddies from I am Santa a Miniature Schnauzer rolling over, she’s been teaching me to roll over as well. I can roll on my back for a tummy rub, but I stop half way. Mama’s a terrible teacher. She gives in when I give her the “Puppy Dog” look (You know the one I mean fellow doggers!) She gives me a tummy rub AND my treat. She’s such a push over.

(The puppy dog look– I can get away with anything with this look!

BOL! )

I’m going to school because mama wants me to be a good doggy citizen. She wants me to be able to go with the family on trips and hang out at outdoor cafes. I’m certainly all for that. I don’t much like getting left home alone. Additionally, as much as I like the all dog partying at Doggy Central, I prefer to hang with my regular pack. If I can learn to get along with folks that aren’t MY humans, not bark too much, and not rumble at men with beards, then that would be just great! We’re shooting for a Good Doggy Citizen certificate!

Mama says I should VISUALIZE my success! Mine will be a little less messy, but you get the idea!

Once my classes start, I’ll be sharing my experiences with all of you.

I plan on being an A student at this school. It’s how the boys in this family roll. Oops, did I accidently brag about my hu-brothers. Oh well! What did you expect? They’re my pack mates – my fur challenged homies!

Do you think I should bring a bully stick or an apple for the teacher?

OR

I’m a little conflicted!

Anyway, have a great week fellow doggers.

I’ll be doing some last minute partying at Doggy Central while Mom and the boys head off for one last little vacation.

Keep visiting my blog. Check out some of my old articles in the archives.

Sniffs and Licks,

Your pal,

Opie

How I spent Wednesday at Doggie Central

While my family pined away for me

Hi All,

By the time most of you read this today on Thursday. I will be home with my family, probably fresh from a bath! Mama never managed to get the webcam to “save as” the pictures of me at Doggy Central, but Gregory did show her the “snip it” feature on the computer. So we do have some photos.

I’ll let the web cam stills tell the story of my day at Doggy Central.

First, let me say, that I didn’t want to leave my Mama when they dropped me off. I tried to lower my center of gravity and… well I had to be dragged out. I did not really behave in a “dogly” fashion.

However, once I was there… there were so many butts to sniff and bizarre toys to climb on that I ended up having a decent time. I was kind of tired from the dog park. So, after dinner and some of my duck stick bits, I was kind of sleepy.

You see these little blue beds. We can sleep on these. Some dogs take naps during the day on them. I had a blanket last night. Mama told the lady that I’m used to sleeping in the bed with them. I can’t bring my own toys or blanket, but they gave me something warm last night.

Some dogs were kind of noisy during the night. It was not as quiet as it is at my house. Of course, once Mama and Daddy start snoring maybe it’s not all that different. I did manage to get some sleep, but I’ll admit I got up and walked around a little bit.

When I woke up the next day, I had my familiar breakfast of kibble. Additionally, I got a special bonus. One of the guys took me for a walk. I was really excited at first. I thought he was going to take me to my Mama. Unfortunately, he didn’t. When I got back, there were more doggies there and we played a bit.

I really enjoyed playing with the three white poodles. They come to Doggy Central all the time. In this picture we are trying to see what’s going on in the other small dog room. One of our attendants was over there. She smells like treats!

There are four big rooms of dogs at Doggy Central – two small dog rooms and two big dog rooms. I’m in the smallest small dog room. The other small dog room has bigger small dogs in it. Mama likes me to stay with the little guys. I don’t mind. The some of the bigger small dogs are actually big dog puppies and not really that small.

Maybe because I was so tired from my noisy neighbors, my walk or just missing my Mama. I finally just had to lie down and take a nap. Mama told me when I got back that I should try and stay in the line of site of the camera.

I was really in line this time. I was “dog” tired!

Of course, this didn’t last long. I was back on my feet in no time at all. Dogs were always running around, barking, and our attendant was frequently on our side of the wall mopping up our little puddles and picking up our little “offerings.”

As you can see, I’m worn out for a moment.

But it didn’t take long for me to perk up to see what was going on.

Mama says that this trip was to accustom me to being at Doggy Central. She wanted me to understand that she will always come and get me. She doesn’t want me to feel abandoned when or if they go on trips.

Well honestly I don’t feel abandoned at all. The other dogs are fun and interesting to play with.

The people are nice enough.

But I still will miss my family and be glad when they return.

Wordless Wednesday – Canine Boarding Photographic Planning

Almost wordless Wednesday

We are going away for a week and Opie must be “kenneled” while we are gone.

In order to accustom him to the boarding facility, he’s been having sleep overs.

For those who are thinking about how to do this here is a pictorial account of what we are doing to get Opie ready for our trip away.

First, off to the Dog Park!

This is so he doesn’t associate riding in the car with going someplace unpleasant —

All the time! ( Trips to the vet, the groomers, the day care — YUCK) Instead, think of trips to the dog park, the pet store and to pick the boys up from school and just to have a really good SNIFF FEST!

Here he is at the dog park!

Good times!

On the way home we stopped at the pet store and bought some new treats and extra food.

Highly recommend – Welcome Home Duck sticks ( really easy to break up into smaller pieces, unlike any of the jerkies which you need to take the kitchen shears to cut reasonably.)

Then we went home for a bit – mostly to gather up his food for the two night sleep over, his snacks and to write his name on his harness (Just like camp – we have to label everything!)

Then…

another Car ride, and soon we were at Doggie Central.

The idea behind going to the park was to make him a little tired before we leave him at the Doggie Central boarding facility. We also wanted to give him some quality play time with some canine pals. Not pictured is all the affection he got at home. Beau coup Tummy Rubs and lots of duck treats for sitting and staying like a champion.

That night we missed him terribly in the night! There was much vocal complaining from his hu-brothers and I’ll admit I didn’t sleep as well without him walking on me at least once during the night. Every time I heard a siren go by I worried that the facility was burning down with my dog in it.  I finally had to get up and play a little IPAD scramble to clear my head.

Yes, I’m a true mom!  Paranoid to the max!
However, Opie seemed to pass a decent night.

Here are today’s Webcam pix.

I love the webcam!

WHEN THE SAVE FUNCTION WORKS AND I DON’T HAVE TO HIT ALT PRINT SCREEN TO GET AN IMAGE OF MY DOG!

Weirdly, the save function for the webcam is not working!

So, sorry for the picture of my screen fellow bloggers.

However, if you choose any facility for your dog make sure they have a webcam. I think it’s stupid for them not to have one. They are not that expensive, easy to install and the peace of mind they give a dog owner is really measurable.

I wonder if they could put webcams in the schools too! At least the pre-schools!  Just a thought.  ( Paranoid Mamas of the world UNITE!)

(And yes, I am doing weight watchers online. I have a blog there that I am not paying much attention to. LOL)

Still, it’s reassuring to see him running around the next morning. He seems calm and the little dominator dogs that were their back in January do not seem to be there today. Excellent!

I fully expect him to be worn completely out when we pick him up tomorrow morning.

Two nights at Doggie Central!

I forsee a special chicken breast dinner for a certain Mr. Furry Pants. 🙂

 

Hopefully, these two nights will be enough to prepare him for the 5 nights coming up. It won’t seem as if we’ve abandoned him.  That coupled with a few extra perks we’ve arranged should make it more bearable.

The real question is whether we’ll be able to stand it.

Once again, Thank God for Webcams!

Don’t board your dog without them!  

 

 

We Both Survived His first Doggy Sleep Over – Opie’s Back!

Opie did well on his first sleep away adventure.

However, he’s completely exhausted now.

I think the pictures tell the story better than I can.

I am so tired. All I want to do is sleep.

Yawn!

So sleepy — Eyes closing, body relaxing, shutting down..

Nuzzling in.

Yes, I can sleep like a Billy Goat. Zzzzzzz….

By the way, luckily when Opie fell off the couch he slid off on the cushion side.

He’s positioned himself in a much safer location.

Zzzzzzzz…

Our First Sleep Over – Opie’s Mom Report

I’m a Mama on the Edge!

Hi All,

Opie’s Mom here!

I have to say I have mixed feelings about the subject of this posting – Opie’s first sleep over. Maybe I’m looking for moral support. (No maybe about it!) So here goes!

Opie’s Dad and I are going to a wedding. We’ll be gone all day and won’t return until late. The boys will have a sitter with them the whole time, but Opie is a little “funny” with the sitter. Sometimes he loves her to pieces, and sometimes inexplicably he becomes highly suspicious of her. I would trust his judgment but our Delfina has been taking care of Gregory since he was in diapers and Michael since he came home from the hospital. The boys love her, and she loves them! She loves Opie too. It could be that Opie smells Delfina’s little dog and is wondering when her little ball of fluff is going to encroach on his territory. Maybe this is what puts him on edge.

We don’t know.

Opie’s Dad suggested that this weekend was the perfect time to get Opie used to being without us over night. We will go away for Spring Break and for some weekends in the summer. His reasoning is that Opie should build up to being left at Doggie Central for a week or more. This, of course, makes sense. He might think he’s been abandoned if we leave him just “cold turkey” for a week. I certainly don’t want him to think that. We want him to expect our return. BECAUSE WE WILL!

This attack of nerves feels suspiciously like the attack I had when I sent my 12 year old on his school trip alone across the country for the first time. Just like that trip, I’m worrying how Opie’s going to deal with sleeping without Mom and Dad. I worry whether he’ll be comfortable or scared, whether he’ll eat well, whether he’ll get along with the other dogs, whether the people will be nice to him. I know the people are nice. I’ve met them, but what if the day crew is nice and the night crew is a bunch of dog hating sadists? Opie’s Dad thinks I’m paranoid. Maybe I am. But there’s a reason I refer to myself as Opie’s Mom.

This is what we Moms do. We worry. We are paranoid – and LORD HELP THE PERSON THAT HARMS MY KID or SWEET LITTLE DAWGINS! Sorry — just had paranoia surge.

Of course, it’s only one night, right? He’ll be okay for one night.

The question is — Will I?

Expect a blog about Opie’s return from his sleep over by the end of the weekend. I know I’ll have to write about it. In the meantime, feel free to offer any moral support you feel you can.

Well, so long all,

Opie’s Nervous Paranoid Mom

P.S.

Please enjoy some pictures of my sweet little fur ball!

Doggie Day Care – a Snorkie’s Eye View

 

Transcript of the conversation between Opie and Mama

Before going to Doggy Central

 

Mom: Opie you’ve been involved in some unacceptable behaviors lately. We’ve got to do something.
Opie: Oh Mom are you still mad about the Pumpkin Pie incident. I promise I won’t do that again. (Certainly not in that way – sotto voce)

Mom: The Pie thing was irritating, but I’ve forgiven you for that. I’m not talking about that. You’ve been trying to chew your foot and your tail! You’re bored!

Opie: I want more walks and playtime outside.

Mom: Opie you know it gets dark sooner, and the boys have lots of homework and haven’t been able to give you as much time as they’d like. The weather’s been horrible, too.

Opie: I know. I hate the rain. Why can’t you teach me to use that little room you guys go into? You could let me play with your shoes?

Mom: Hmm. Opie you need a new stimulating activity, a new experience. So, today we are going someplace new.

Opie: A dog park?

Mom: Err Um not exactly, but there will be other dogs there to play with.

At this point Mom pulled out my leash. After a quick pee run we jumped into the car. We pulled up to this big building, and I could smell lots and lots of dogs, and I could hear arffing, woofing,barking, and ruffing.

Opie: Come on Mama! Hurry up!

We entered the building and a lady came around the counter and gave me a treat. She smelled nice and the treat was yummy. Then I sat with Mama on the couch while she filled out all sorts of forms. Eventually, a man came and took my leash.

Opie: Mama, this guy smells like a pet groomer!

Mama: You’re not getting groomed. Opie what are you doing? Get up and walk like a dog.

I have to admit that I had lowered my center of gravity and gone all limp. He had to drag me out of the room. I know what dog shampoo smells like and this guy reeked of it!

The door closed behind me. I was in a big room with climbing things in it and soft cushiony platforms everywhere. I could hear the dogs, but I couldn’t see them. I was alone. Shampoo man disappeared through a door and reappeared with a grey schnauzer under his arm that he set right in front of me.

Schnauzer: Hi what’s your name? I’m going to sniff you butt. You can sniff mine if you want. Are you an aggressive dog? I sure hope not. You look nice but they don’t let aggressive dogs in here. You have to be a nice doggy and friendly and let me sniff your butt. Here is mine!

Opie: Sniff, sniff Hey, My name is Opie. What’s your…?

Then another dog came in.

Poodle: Bonjour Monsieur doggie, I am here now. You may meet me and sniff my derriere I shall sniff yours. Hmm, you have not been to the groomers recently, non? You seem alright. We shall play together. I believe you are tres charmant, oui? You can see that I am very beautiful and charmant as well. We shall have good times, mon ami!

Chihuahua: Que pasa compadre! Como te llamas? I don’t need to sniff your butt. I can tell that you are an okay dude. Watch out for the French chick, she ….

Jack Russell: What ho! A new member for our merry band? Welcome to the small dog room, my good dog. We can tell that you…

Then a horde of other little dogs came in — All wanting to smell my butt.

I have to say it was STIMULATING!!! I spent about two and a half hours meeting and greeting, running from one butt to the other.

It looked a little like this, but indoors.

The schnauzer was very friendly but so was everyone. They told me that their Mamas and Daddy’s would pick them up later that day. They come here so that they aren’t lonely during the day when their Mamas and Daddies work. They told me about meal times and treat times and outdoor times. Some of them even get walks outside the building. Several of them even have sleepovers! I asked about the other dogs I heard.

Poodle: Cherie, those are the large dogs. They are tres charmant but they keep us separated. They like to play and we do too, but their teeth and claws are quite big n’est pas? The other dogs are les petit enfants the…. How you say? Puppies.

The rest of the afternoon we ran around swapping squirrel stories, and occasionally somebody would sit down and have a little nap.

Shampoo man never shampooed me, but he gave me lots of treats. I decided not to hold his shampoo smell against him. It told my new friends about my pie raid. The Jack Russell had an equivalent story about something called pot pie. He said that pie has meat in it.

Jack Russell: Cherries? My dear fellow, we are descendants of wolves, my boy. Meat is what we should always strive for. Pie! Give me Meat Pie, I say! What, what!

Jack Russell was going to tell me all about meat pies and then I heard my boys! AND MOM!

The man came and got me and let me run into the reception area. He put my leash on and opened the door.

Opie: Mama, Mama, Mama! Boys, Boys, Boys!!!

I was so happy to see them. They were glad to see me too!

All in all it was a pretty decent day.

Mama: Did you have a good time, Opie. Were the other doggies nice?

Opie: Yes Mama!

Mama: Good Opie because we’ll visit this place again soon.

I was just exhausted when we got home. I slept so deeply. I felt no desire to chew my tail or my foot. I was just happy to snooze next to Mama and Daddy on the couch and later cuddle up next to them in bed and sleep ALL Night.

Day care was fun! I think I could go back for a short while.

*************************************************************

Opie’s finished writing this part here’s my part.

Opie was visiting a cage free doggy day care. Doggy Central boards dogs there as well for people who go off on vacation. I wanted Opie to have a good experience and he’ll be going back fairly regularly to get him accustomed to it. I don’t want to just leave him some place unfamiliar when we eventually fly off for a family vacation. I had heard good things about this particular day care. The dogs like the cage free nature of it; they screen all the dogs for aggressive behavior. They are open 24/7. They are right next to a dog training studio and as well. Half the block is made up of dog professionals of some type.

Best of all they have a web cam!

Yes, I can take my laptop wherever we go and check on Opie via webcam!

The webcam allows you to capture stills of your dog.

After about 30 minutes of technical issues. I finally got it to work. I think this is the best thing ever.

The only drawback is that there are lots of blind spots. As long as your dog stays in the center of the room then you have a great view. However, if you dog is hugging the wall directly underneath the camera, like Opie did most of the time, then it’s a little trickier.

Anyway, we are still in the preliminary testing phases of this Day care thing, but so far so good.