Ruger Strikes Again!

Just when you thought it was safe, I struck again!  Personally I don't think I should bear the blame for this particular incident.  It was an accident on my part, and Mommy should have been paying attention! I mean, really, how can you blame this handsome face?

Mommy keeps the wrapping paper and ribbons stored in containers under one of the guest beds.  She was bending down to pull those out and barely missed Dixie flying into the room and hopping up onto the guest bed.  It was a close call and she was very relieved she didn't get smacked in the face.

The problem is, Mommy forgot she has more than one dawg in this house.  I came flying into the room next and tried to jump up on the bed.  No, I still don't know how to actually get my hind legs up on the bed, but we shan't speak of that. Didn't Mommy recently say how smart I was?  Just keep thinking that.  I pretend I can jump up on the bed and I stand on my hind legs and wait for a boost from behind.

Anyway, that's what I did and Mommy's chin got in the way.  (Daddy would point out to you that it's a BIG chin!) Mommy says she felt like a cartoon character seeing stars spinning over her head.  It was super painful.  It wasn't exactly thrilling for me either.  Mommy said when she turned around I had a dumbfounded look too.  My headbutt left a semi-lasting impression on Mommy.

I'm sorry Mommy, but next time you should really pay better attention.  Don't you agree?
Ruger

Caught!

You're going to think from this title that I was caught in the act of doing something bad, but you would be entirely wrong!   I seem to be involved in all kinds of escapades lately.  Exactly one week after I made my great escape, I found myself in another predicament.

Our parents returned form church one Sunday and were greeted at the door by only Jenna and Dixie.  Mommy thought I was just being slow because I do tend to move at my own pace and only when I want to!  She was very casually calling to me and says she kept expecting to see me come strolling around the corner of the kitchen.  I could hear her, but I couldn't see her.

Nor could I get to her . . .Mommy kept calling for me and I kept wanting to go see her and Daddy, but I just couldn't bring myself to do so.  I heard the back door open and Mommy call outside for me.  Did she think she'd left me outside all morning while they were at church?  That never happens.

Finally I heard her approaching.  She finally saw me in my crate.  She didn't remember putting me in there and noticed the door was wide open.  She started talking to me and asking me why I wasn't coming out.  Then she started freaking out.  I could hear the panic in her voice.  ( I think she actually freaked more about this than my escape the week before!)  She could see my legs flailing around in the air and see that I was trying to get up but couldn't.  She yelled for Daddy to come help.

They both realized what was wrong at the same time.  My collar was STUCK on the wires of the crate!  Daddy released my collar from the crate while Mommy released the collar from my neck.

Mommy said I was so smart.  How is getting your collar stuck on your crate smart???  She says other dawgs might have kept pulling and pulling until they passed out or choked themselves.  I was smart enough just to enjoy the view from my crate and not panic.  She was so relieved this was my only problem.  She thought there was something seriously wrong with my legs or back.

On the other paw, she was shocked my collar got hung up on the crate.  This is the same type of collar we always wear at home (not the prong collar, that's saved for going out in public because we tend to listen better with it on!).  Mommy says she's never had any problems with these collars on any of us in sixteen years!  Oh well.  Since then I've been allowed to run naked and free at home.  And Mommy double checks the gate every time she opens the back door so we don't have a repeat of either of my escapades!

I'll try to not get myself into any more trouble!  Cross your paws!
Until next time,
Ruger

Happy Fall Y'all

It's the most wonderful time of the year!!!!  Wait, isn't that a Christmas song?  That's a wonderful time too, but FALL is Mommy's favorite season . . . except for that pesky detail of school resuming. 

We recently had a fall photo session.  Previous years in previous locations have featured BEAUTIFUL fall leaves, but we hardly have any trees in our city, so that's not happening!  Instead we're stuck wearing fall bandanas and bowties!  Mommy will just have to be happy with that!

 

We are definitely blessed!

Where are my ears??

Here's what we REALLY think about all this photo mumbo jumbo . . . 

Oh well!  No matter how we look, it's still fall and hopefully (paws crossed) the temps will start to cool down for us soon!

Dixie, Jenna & Ruger

The Great Escape!

A few Sundays ago, we got into BIG trouble!!!  We had an all out adventure before the sun even came up!  We woke Mommy up at the usual time (6AM) and asked for breakfast.  When we finished eating, Mommy let Dixie outside to potty first followed by Jenna and then me.  We frequently go outside by ourselves and then we just bark when we're ready to come back in.  Mommy decided to check on us after we'd been out there for about five minutes.  When she opened the door, she realized to her horror the back gate was OPEN and we were ALL GONE!!!!!  With no collars on!!!!  (We're all microchipped thankfully, but still . . . )

Mommy immediately ran to wake Daddy and they began the search for us.  All total our adventure was about thirty minutes long.  Our parents have watched the security cameras at our house to see our actions and are able to giggle about it now, but they both agree it was no laughing matter at 6:15 AM!

As soon as Dixie came outside, she began barking trying to alert Mommy to the open gate.  Mommy thought nothing of the barking because we have so many dawgs in the neighborhood and we frequently bark at them.  Then Jenna came outside and although she took note of the open gate (which is apparently all Mommy's fault), Jenna didn't venture out.  She went about her morning routine while keeping her eye on the gate.  The incriminating video evidence shows I came out and within seconds I had discovered my path to freedom!  (I frequently sit in the backyard and dream of what's on the other side of the fence).  Jenna followed me shortly after.

The video shows Miss Goody Two Shoes Dixie leaving and then coming back and forth at the open gate for about five minutes before being discovered by Mommy.  Before Mommy and Daddy left in the Jeep to start their search, Mommy looked out one more time and found Jenna had made her way back home.  Jenna had pushed the gate open to let herself back in.

Our parents drove around about twenty minutes looking and calling for me.  They finally drove back to the house to see if I had returned home because Daddy says dawgs always come home.  Mommy ran through the house to see if I had returned through the back gate.  When she came back in the house, there I was!!!

Daddy found me!  Actually, I found him.  I met him in the driveway.  I got a "Good Boy!" for making my way back home.  Needless to say, we are naked no more!  Our collars are back on, the the gate is tightly closed, and my lips are sealed about my real adventure.

What happens on the other side of the fence, stays on the other side of the fence!
Ruger

To Each Their Own

Mommy was feeling rather adventurous during her last week of summer vacation.  She decided to take ALL THREE of us to the dawg park all by herself.  She says unloading at the park was the worst part of the whole adventure.  We were rearing to go!

She was recovering from the exhausting walk from the car to the park gate (maybe a whopping 30 yards??) and didn't have her camera out to capture the great picture of all three of us running together.  Instead, you'll have to settle for just me and Ruger running wild!

Once again Ruger's tongue was flapping in the breeze.  This was the best picture Mommy could grab of it!

This little guy is Dozier.  He's quite a chunky bulldog and tried to keep up with us at the park!

He also tried to run with the other big dawgs there.  He got a little nip on the nose at one point!  But that didn't stop him from waddling around with us.  (He even tried to make an escape with us as we were leaving!)

It was rare to see all three of us together this day.  We were all doing our own thing all over the park. 

Mommy learned that each of our personalities stood out while at the park.  Dixie was all about the tennis balls!  She only wanted to retrieve the ball over and over and over and  . . .

She played until she finally had to collapse at Mommy's feet from exhaustion.  

Ruger liked to be where the action was.  He spent a good bit of the time running from one pack of dawgs to another trying to play with them.  If someone threw a ball, he'd run after the dawg trying to retrieve it.  He likes to try to steal the ball from others.  That may be how he ended up with slobber all over his nose!

I used my time more wisely.  I went from person to person trying to nab some FOOD!  The rules of the park say no people food or dawg food allowed in the park, but you know how people are; they don't follow the rules!  Unfortunately, the only "food" I found that day was a man with coffee.  That wasn't quite what I was looking for and he wasn't sharing!

We played until we couldn't play any more.  We finally settled in the shade together and Mommy asked if we were ready to go home.   I was forced into the backseat on the way to the park, but I called shotgun for the ride home.  I don't know why Dixie just doesn't let me ride up front all the time.  She knows I prefer it and she doesn't seem to mind where she rides.  Ruger proved to be a good car rider too.  He and Dixie each took a rear window and enjoyed the views.

I enjoyed my ride home in the front seat.  I can relax and have Mommy all to myself! She enjoys having me up here too because I tend to lie down and sleep.  (Dixie prefers to sit up and look around.)

Hopefully we'll all get to go to the park again soon!
Jenna

Paranoid Mommy and Pawfect Jenna

Mommy has been super paranoid about my knee this summer.  She always watches to see how I'm walking, if I'm putting all my weight on my paw, if  I'm limping or favoring my leg.  It's been over a year since I had my knee surgery and I've technically made a full recovery, but . . .

Mommy still worries!  Don't all Mommies?  

About mid July, I had a fun morning of playing in the water with my siblings and then playing hard with Ruger in the yard.  Later that day when I hopped up from a nap, HOP was the operative word.  I wasn't putting any weight on my leg at all.  It was the same leg I'd had surgery on.  Mommy went back to this photo above to double check.  Dawgs who have knee surgery have a FIFTY percent chance of having the other knee operated on eventually, so she wanted to make sure.  

She watched me for a few days and gave me buffered aspirin in case I was in any pain.  She also restricted me to super short walks and began taking Ruger and Dixie on long walks together (instead of me and Dixie together).  After a week of this, Mommy went on her trip to Santa Fe and so I had a second week of restrictions . . . Daddy doesn't walk us!  Ha!

After Mommy's return, she still wasn't one hundred percent convinced that I was okay.  She had mentioned me to Dr. Clary when she had Ruger at the vet for his check up.  He said if I was improving any at all then it wasn't my knee.  I was definitely improving.  

Mommy started taking me by myself on longer walks and even let me swim one morning.  Here I am showing off my supermodel figure.  You're picturing Bo Derek shaking the water out of her braids here, aren't you??

 I'm Daddy's girl (or so he likes to think), but I can be Mommy's girl too!

After a weekend of swimming in the pond and a trip to the dawg park (I was the last to get to go because of my knee), Mommy took me to see Dr. Clary.  She told our family that she was going to take me to the vet just to double check or to have him tell her she was paranoid.

Dr. Clary couldn't even tell which leg he had operated on without the vet tech reminding him!  I was walking normally and not showing any issues.  The vet checked me out thoroughly and told Mommy to GO HOME!  He didn't even charge her for the visit.  (Apparently she IS paranoid!)  Mommy felt encouraged and relieved.  She still keeps an eye on my leg from time to time, but I've been running and playing with no issues.

I guess I'm still a supermodel!
Jenna

Pawfect Ruger

At the end of July, I had to go to the vet for my yearly appointment.  I needed a few vaccines and just a good overall check up.  Dr. Clary declared me PAWFECT!!!!  (Seriously, was there any doubt???)

I wore my personalized seersucker bandana and received LOTS of compliments!  I looked LABRADORABLE!

I was a great weight!  Whew!  That means I don't have to eat green beans anymore.  I had packed on a few extra pounds while away from home.  Most of you might think the trainer would keep me slim and trim, but Mommy thinks he really likes BIG dawgs!  When my parents left me with the trainer for boarding last summer as a puppy, he commented that I was too skinny and told Mommy he fed me more than she directed him to.  Mommy thinks the same thing happened during my four months with him this winter and spring.  I even heard the word FAT tossed around by my parents upon my return!

What do you think?  Here's a slightly blurry picture taken back at the beginning of May . . . yes, I like to lie in weird positions, but that's another story.  Am I fat???

Here's another picture taken around the same time.  

Here I am now!  I guess the proof is in the picture (and unfortunately not the pudding).  

I've lost about TWELVE POUNDS!  Mommy put me on the green bean diet.  I ate half of my serving size in my regular dawg food and the other half in canned green beans.  Three months later, I'm slim and trim and the vet told Mommy I could stop eating the beans.  (She's considering trying this diet out for herself!)

Not all of my weight loss can be chalked up to green beans.  I walked about three miles every morning with Mommy this summer.  She walked a total of 6-7 miles each morning between the three of us.  You'd think she might have slimmed down with that much walking, but apparently her snacks aren't locked up like mine are.

Now I can just sit back and relax and focus on looking pawfect.  My good buddy Homer sent me this monogrammed bandana all the way from Australia!  I love it so much I can't stop grinning over it!

I think you'll agree, I'm as pawfect as the vet said.  My sisters may disagree, but what do they know??

Until next time,
Ruger

Three Dawg Park

Since the dawg park was successful with two out of three dawgs, Mommy decided to try it with all three of us.  She knew the regular minister was not going to be at church one Sunday morning and Daddy can't stand a substitute.  So they decided to skip church and take all three of us to the park together.  Dixie was super excited to be returning.

 We took the Chuckit with us so we could RUN, RUN, RUN!!!

Dixie ran some, but she's also figured out how she can do minimal running.  She likes to act like she's going to retrieve the ball, but then she lets me bring it back and just snatches it out of my mouth when I return!

So many tennis balls, so little time . . . 

Daddy had a pretty decent time too.  Not as much fun as we had, but we think it was better than he expected.  He was rather nervous to have us around all those other dawgs at first.

Daddy complained about the heat, but Mommy said it was ten degrees cooler than we'd been experiencing lately.  Mommy needs to remember we haven't done this much running lately!

Mommy said Ruger ran so hard that his tongue was slapping him in the face!  Too bad she didn't get a picture of THAT!

A good time was had by all!  And I had no ill effects on my knee from all that running.

Until the next time,
Jenna


PS: We're remembering our big brother Hunter today.  He passed away three years ago today.