Officially Addicted to Agility!

Well, I'm sooo very sad today. Tomorrow is my last class of foundation agility...and due to the impending snow storm...classes have been canceled.

We'll resume again in January! I can't wait! I'm officially addicted to agility!!!

I love the jumps, the tunnel and am very confident with my basic interaction with the teeter and weave poles!

Can't wait to do more in 2008!!!

I'll leave you with some great agility video that inspires me!

I have a secret....

Guess what!!! Remember what I asked for for Christmas....I think my wish came true....I saw a big bag from a nice dog store hidden in my human's bedroom....Heee!!!!

What Dogs Teach Us

My human mom is reading a great book (Woman’s Best Friend, stories about women and the dogs in their lives), and she wanted to share something from it to all of you. This excerpt is part of the introduction, by Pam Houston.

Her Irish Wolfhound Dante battled and subsequently died of bone cancer…this is what she wrote about the lessons he taught her:

“Dante taught me that if your paws are too big to fit in your ears, you have to get someone else to do the scratching….He taught me that if you really love somebody, cleaning their bodily excretions off the carpet is no problem, and in the end, the money doesn’t really matter a bit. He taught me that loving, in the face of inevitable loss, is the single most important challenge of our lives; that without loss, life isn’t worth a hill of beans, and without love, life is nothing more than a series of losses. He taught me that everything is forgivable, that every moment contains eternity, and that loving unconditionally doesn’t mean you are a self-annihilating fool.

After he died, he taught me how to live without him, but also that I didn’t have to. He taught me that because we loved each other so completely, a part of him would always be with me.”

So always hug your pups and your loved ones and always tell them you love them. Even when it feels like they may challenge your love!

New Blogging Buddies!

My girlfriend Denali and her sisters are now blogging!! Please take the time to visit their blog and say hello!

http://chissysgirls.blogspot.com/

What's My Elf Name?

Your Elf Name Is...

Spicy Blinking Bum

BOL! What's Your Elf Name?

Holiday Gift Ideas! (part I)

Two weeks until Christmas...is all your shopping done??? Here are some great gift ideas for pups big and small!
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Big dog? Can't find a coat that fits? iDawg Clothing is for you! Cool bombers and hoodies have been created for bigger dogs, so now everypup can look cool on the streets!
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Do you have a human that loves to read up on all the latest dog news, fashion and sports?? How about a magazine subscription? Publications like Modern Dog and The Bark can make a pawfect year round gift! Great stories, pawesome photos, and the latest tips and trends for Fifi and Fido.
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Sport nut in your life? Agility, Flyball, Rally-O and more! Shop for the best in books, DVDs and magazines at Dog Sport Magazine! They have an extensive library of products to help your canine athlete improve his/her game.
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Foodie? Well, how about a service that delivers home-baked healthy treats to your front door??? Net Treatz does just that! Yum-Yum, sign me up!
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I'll be on the lookout for some more gift ideas, so keep checking back!! Happy Shopping!

Dog Rules for Christmas

This was sent to me in an email:

1. Be especially patient with your humans during this time. They may appear to be more stressed-out than usual and they will appreciate long comforting dog leans.

2. They may come home with large bags of things they call gifts. Do not assume that all the gifts are yours.

3. Be tolerant if your humans put decorations on you. They seem to get some special kind of pleasure out of seeing how you look with fake antlers.

4. They may bring a large tree into the house and set it up in a prominent place and cover it with lights and decorations. Bizarre as this may seem to you, it is an important ritual for your humans, so there are some things you need to know:

a. Don't pee on the tree

b. Don't drink water in the container that holds the tree

c. Mind your tail when you are near the tree

d. If there are packages under the tree, even ones that smell interesting or that have your name on them, don't rip them open

e. Don't chew on the cord that runs from the funny-looking hole in the wall to the tree

5. Your humans may occasionally invite lots of strangers to come visit during this season. These parties can be lots of fun, but they also call for some discretion on your part:
a. Not all strangers appreciate kisses and leans

b. Don't eat off the buffet table

c. Beg for goodies subtly

d. Be pleasant, even if unknowing strangers sit on your sofa

e. Don't drink out of glasses that are left within your reach

6. Likewise, your humans may take you visiting. Here your manners will also be important:

a. Observe all the rules in #4 for trees that may be in other people's houses. (4a is particularly important)

b. Respect the territory of other animals that may live in the house

c. Tolerate children

d. Turn on your charm big time

7. A big man with a white beard and a very loud laugh may emerge from your fireplace in the middle of the night.
DON'T BITE HIM!!

Vick Sentanced to 23 Months in Jail

You can read the story from CNN.

All I can say is whatever you think about what he did, or how he should be punished, I really just hope some REAL legislation and action can be created to try to end the violence and cruelty (dog fighting, puppy mills, laboratory testing, etc.) to animals.

There are many comments at the end of this story on CNN...for and against what has happened...one caught my eye that I am going to post here:

"It's about responsibility as a member of the human race, not about black or white or rich or poor. The promotion of violence with the intent to cause another life to suffer for the sake of entertainment or enjoyment is not being responsible and is one of the many causes for the desensitization toward violence that our young people are being subjected to. Now more than ever, all humans need to wake up and realize that somewhere there is another that will look to us for guidance and direction. Do we want to foster more violence? Or do we want peace? What we put out is what we get back."

Especially during this holiday season, it's always good to remember: Do unto others, as you would have them do unto you, and it's truly better to give than to receive.

Sleeping In

Most humans like to do this on the weekend. It can be confusing to us pups who are used to a routine of getting up early when our humans go to work during the week. My human in particular was not very happy with me today.

See, during the week, I don't like to get up early...she has to wake me at 7:00am to walk and feed me before she leaves.

But for some reason on the weekends....I'm walking them up at 6:00am!! But today...today was the last straw for her. She didn't come to get me when I called. She made me wait until 7:45am!!! Talk about cruelty!! She can sleep later!! It's not my problem her and human dad were up late on Saturday night!!

What about you pups? What are your sleeping routines like??

Pop Dog is on MySpace!

My human now has a MySpace presence for Pop Dog Portraits! If you are on MySpace, please feel free to drop by and add her to your friend list, leave a comment and look around! She'll keep you updated on her latest paintings and other things Pop Dog related!