Morning fetch in the clover

...yeah. Pittsburgh is fun. We're gonna miss staying at Todd's dad's house...!

Tag is relocating, too.

Just got the word that Tag will be able to go to work with Steve and, when Steve travels, Tag will be safe and sound with the Sporte-Ehn Family.  Lucky, lucky dog.  Summer and fall in the Colorado Rockies!  

The plan is to have Tag return to Iowa in October or November to finish his post with Paws & Effect.  Tag will be spending his time working the legislative floor during the 2010 session.  Lots and lots and lots of stairs!

Kentucky, here we come!

Cadence is none too happy about this packing, saying good-bye, relocating thing.  Not at all.  She keeps trying to crawl back into Butley's bed...'cept she can't.  It's full of stuff that we can't forget.  Not yet acquired:  money to reimburse the Cerveris-Reed family for their Tag related expenses, but I'm off to the bank.  Not yet packed:  Butley's allergy stuff, but it will be before we leave.  Gabor, check.  Butley, check.

Inside the Service Dogs mouth!

The resolution of the Tag photos was amazing. It allowed me to peer inside a service dogs mouth. 

Not sure that I would do that intentionally but ... 

Not that I'm all about the details but ...OMG, Yuck! 

Tag appears unfazed by the dog hair and crud on his tongue. 

When we get that unsuspecting dog hair in our food or if they snake their way into our mouths we do the Dog Hair Dance. 

Hands a flailing towards the face. Fingers grabbing at the tongue in a pinching motion. Repeating this motion in rapid succession. First the thumb and fore finger then its the thumb and two fingers then its the thumb and three fingers. That appears to not be working we resort to scraping the tongue with the mashing teeth as you thrust the tongue out, mash the teeth down as the tongue retracts. Again, repeat this motion quickly and multiple times until you determine the hair is still in your mouth. When that doesn't work, out comes the napkin. Using both hands for this exercise you hold the tongue with one side of the napkin and do a swiping motion across the tongue with the other half of the napkin making darn sure you don't go to far on the sensitive buds that you get the gag reflex. Then as all else has failed you, pick up a bottle of beer, glass of whiskey, ice cold soda pop and flush it down as if it was never there. You go on about the rest of the meal not making eye contact or acknowledging anything was the matter in the first place. Don't worry, the others will know what happened.

But for a service dog none of that means a hill of beans. See for yourself!

No, I won't push the fence over. I won't. I promise.

Two Peas In A Pod

Spring is really, really fun.  The windows are open and the dogs can hear everything.  Nothing intimidating at all about having a pit bull and catahoula staring out the window of our nice home in our very middle-class neighborhood. 

Tag has taken to walking US...

...on our evening walks, heading back home...



He seems to think we need a little direction...

Serious chill time, after fetch in the park...

Spoiled. Period.

Butley's ability to clean out a Planet Dog strawberry filled with frozen peach banana baby food has really improved.  You can't tell, though, cause he's figured out how to nestle the toy under his paws between the mattress and bumper of the dog bed to secure it.  He's quite efficient.  And spoiled.  

Hey, Good Lookin'!

Butley takes Canine Craze by storm!

And enjoys an evening with Rowdy, Kanya, Roggen and Cadence.

Tag got his eyes checked today...

And he got a clean bill of health from the veterinary opthamologist. At least we know now that this service dog won't need a guide dog...

Coming home, his pupils were dilated from the drops, and I got a hilarious picture of the Devil Dog retinas...



And then, of course, everything was so bright...



But it was a tiring visit, all in all, including the vet, Ikea, Home Depot, the post office, and CVS...

Trifecta!

We're tired from last night's play!

Hiking in Marlborough

Dog Play!

While it may seem a little out of place, Cadence can be a bugger some times. 

She leads you on and then tromps on you when you engage her on her terms. 

It's so not fair but hey, life's not fair and when we all play well together.

Got to go finish the laundry and fix the bed!

At least I can be on the furniture!

Those service dogs don't get to steal cake, they have to lay on the ground, they have to WORK for a living.  I've got the Life of Riley.  Now, if I could just get everybody to stop making fun of me....  

A Butley Fool

All's I can say is that I haven't laughed so long or so hard as we did today taking the dogs for their eye exam.  

After the exam, we stopped for a bite to eat and, having forgotten that there was food in the car, left four dogs in the car without a care in the world.  We returned to find that Butley, the LEAST capable of actually reaching the cake in the very back of the car, had managed to gather both the incentive and capacity to access and consume the equivalent of a quarter sheet cake.  And his guilt was evident in the chin to chest frosting slathered from shoulder to shoulder.  The experience was GOOD, apparently.  After cleaning up Butley, who'd cleaned everything else, we ventured towards home.

About half the way home Jeanie bursts into laughter, crying while driving on the highway.  She had glanced in the rearview mirror and caught Butley trying to get over the back seat again, and all she saw were these little legs and tail, midair, trying to gain leverage and momentum.  Through a very solid effort, Butley was able to tip himself back into the very back of the Suburban to scout for more cake, in case he hadn't consumed it all the first time.  

The good news is that Butley's eyes are absolutely perfect and the vet believes his vision to be normal.  

The adventure was worth the price of admission.  My ribs are sore from laughter.  

I like swimming...

...but I don't care for water up my nose... What's a lab to do (except swim almost vertically)?


More photos to come...

Hula-Pit? Bull-Cata?

What do you get when you cross a pit bull and a catahula? 

First off, you never want to cross either.

Secondly, you get a Dynamic-Duo Super-Human-Hero-Team. 

Wag to the left, wag to the right, cross our tales and let our powers unite!

 

CATA-BULL / HULA-PIT to the RESCUE. 

Cadance can leap over nearly anything and run around an agility ring in serval single bounds and she is nearly as fast as the speeding bullet. 

Butley can absorb gravity, so-much-so that no known earthly force can move him from his spot. (I know first hand having tried to pry him from his resting spot in bed)

Between the two they have it all covered, but wait, they can't fly! Now what? How are they going to get from crime scene to crime scene? How will they ever be able to protect anyone if their parents aren't there to take us?! 

Lets turn now to our Dynamic-Duo in action.

(Cadence talking)

Hey, I've got an idea!

(Butley replying)

Ah-ha!

(Cadence talking)

Ah-ha what?

(Butley replying)

Ah-ha, ah-ha. Isn't that enough?

(Cadence talking)

Ah-ha, I've got an idea! Lets lift (lift: as in to steal) this massive Chevy Suburban that can carry nearly 6 kids, 2 adults and 2 dogs in a single trip. 

(Butley replying)

Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah! Thats a great idea.

(Cadence talking)

Come on man, move your butt! Come on, scoot! I'm going to drive. 

(Butley replying)

No way, you got to run agility yesterday and you are already in the drivers seat!!! Uh, you are already in the drivers seat!? (Butley scratching his head) Hey, thats no fair!

(Cadence talking) 

Thats right, I'm already in the driver seat and besides you called shot gun! That was dumb. You don't even know what calling shot gun is!?

(Butley replying)

Yeah I do. Stop making fun of me!

(Cadence)

Yeah, whatever! OK, let's go!

(Butley replying)

Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.

(Cadence)

Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah what? Stop being such a pit bull!

(Butley replying)

Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.

(Music of the super hero Dynamic-Duo fills the air)

What will happen next? Will the Dynamic-Duo meet their match trying to turn the ignition without thumbs? or Will the get to where they wanted to go?

Tune in next time to find out how this tail ends!

Thanks, Mama Nicole...

...for the new Wubba. It's really cool... No - seriously. REALLY cool....