Maggie and Suzi

What a great week! Not only were there lots of people to see ME but I also got to meet Maggie and Suzi. Suzi is white with soft brown eyes and a hairdo that looks like it's styled. I don't mean to brag, but Suzi and I spent a lot of time together! I had days and days to turn on the charm. And, if I do say so myself, it worked. But let me introduce Suzi more. She came with Daddy's parents when they came to stay for a couple of days. Hmmmm, if Daddy's parents are Suzi's Mommy and Daddy... then does that make Daddy and Suzi brother and sister?? Laugh Laugh! I think it does! That is funny that Daddy is related to Suzi! Laugh Laugh!

Anyway, I spent DAYS trying to charm Suzi into loving me. I pawed her, and barked at her, and jumped on her. Isn't that what you do when you are in love? She did not paw me back, but she did several times growl and give me love bites. I am quite sure that Suzi loves me in return! If she didn't love me, then why did she respond to me? She could have just hidden somewhere or jumped on the couch out of my reach. But she didn't. I was sure that Suzi was going to be the new love of my life.

But then Maggie walked in the door. Maggie is a black & white Shi Tzu with soft brown eyes and a styled hairdo. And I know Maggie's hairdo was styled because she just looked like it should be. She was fine and soft.... and I walked over to her and turned on the same charm that worked for Suzi. Maggie, however, was not as smitten as Suzi. She immediately jumped on the couch away from me. Hard to believe, isn't it? I can't believe anyone (human or 4-legged) could not be charmed by my good looks and playful nature! I barked at her to let her know that I loved her! But she ignored me. OH my heart! It's broken! What do I do? And at the end of the night, she walked out with her people without even a good-bye.

Good thing Suzi stuck around with her people for another couple of days! It allowed me to practice to be my charming self. Laugh Laugh! But unfortunately, even Suzi and her people had to leave. It was a sad day, but Suzi and I said good-bye.

I'm not sure when I will see Suzi or Maggie again but they will be in my heart forever.

In the meantime, I guess I will just continue to charm Trekkie and Gimme! Gimme now loves me back and we play and play and play! I think my ardent love for Trekkie was just a fling. Now that I am older and wiser I see that she is more of a mother-figure to me, than a true love. Not that I don't love her. Just maybe not in the way I thought originally. Gimme, on the other hand... HUBBA HUBBA! She is totally charmed by me (and who wouldn't be?). I can tell when she plays with me. She rolls me over all the time so she can see my supremely handsome belly.

And that, my internet friends, is pretty much how I've spent my last week. Playing, playing, playing! Laugh Laugh! Oh, it was ever so much fun! And a lot of people at the house on the 24th. More playing! And petting! And loving! And I'm sure they were all here to see ME! Laugh Laugh! Mommy even made a great big dinner for everyone! It was fabulous (and I should know because I had some the next day).

Happy New Year my internet friends! May 2012 be as much fun as 2011!

One Word - SNOW!

OH BOY OH BOY OH BOY!! We got our first real snow storm yesterday. Snow and snow and SNOW!! It was sooooo fun! I think it may have been better than chewing on shoes! It's cold and wet and soft! When Gimme rolls me over in it, it doesn't hurt. Not that it matters. I would get up and start playing with Gimme any day! I am so excited that she loves me now! She plays tug with me, and mouths me, and rolls me over! Weeeee!

But wait; where was I? Or that's right. SNOW! Wonderful, beautiful SNOW! Laugh Laugh! It's cold and wet and soft! What? Oh, I already said that? Well, see. It's just because the snow has totally taken over my brain! Snow, snow, SNOW! Laugh Laugh!

Here's another word for you all: PETSMART! Oh boy was that fun! All the people and other dogs to meet. And of course, they all had something nice to say about the STAR (moi). We drove over there in the fancy new car with the top down. That means Daddy had to hold onto me the whole way. Boy, was that mean! I wanted to sit up and let the wind blow through my hair. But Daddy wanted to be sure I didn't jump out so he held on tight! We bought a big orthopedic bed for Fox and it didn't really fit in the car. Whooops. Guess Mommy and Daddy forgot that the new car, as cool as it is (especially with the top down), is a little smaller in the back than any of their other vehicles. Laugh Laugh! We had a quick stop to make at Home Depot (yes, again!!) and Mommy and Daddy put the top up then. But Daddy still held onto me tight on his lap. I think it's because the dog bed took up the entire back seat....

And then Monday, it snowed a little bit, just enough to cause traffic problems (or so Mommy says). This sure is a weird state we live in. Weather nice enough to drive the car with the top down and the next day it gets cold and wet and snowy. I wonder if it's like this all the time??

Tuesday & Wednesday it was fairly nice again (a little warm for my taste, but I suspect anything over about 50 degrees is going to be too warm for me) and then came Thursday and SNOW!! Every time Mommy or Daddy let me out to go potty, it came in with snow all over me! Like I had been rolling around in it! I think I was! But the coolest thing? Trekkie started playing with me too! Gimme would start playing and Trekkie would bark at both of us. And then Trekkie would chase me around and play with me! I am in LOVE! My girlfriend loves me back! Finally!

And it's been a busy week! Tonight, we have strangers staying with us. They brought Suzi their mixed breed with them. Another girl to try and get to love me! She is a little older so it may be harder but I'm going to give it my charming best! Mommy and Daddy say it will be very busy around the house tomorrow when they host a super big dinner. I understand it has something to do with "Christmas". They wanted me to be sure to with all my internet friends a Very Merry Christmas. Whatever that is. If it means food, I'm in!

Talk to you later, internet friends!!

Gates Are For Knocking Over

Mommy and Daddy are so funny! They lock me in the kitchen thinking that I'll stay there. Laugh Laugh! Don't they know? Gates are for knocking over, not for keeping handsome Alf's away! It is SO much fun to knock down the gates and then just walk right over them! Laugh Laugh! Noise? What noise? There is a noise associated with that? Not that I've noticed!! Now, my big siblings seem kind of annoyed by the gates being knocked over. But not me! No way! I'm a big, obnoxious puppy with personality plus. No little gate is going to stop me! Sometimes, they put that gate up nice and tight. Well, guess I'd better learn how to climb over it, hadn't I??

It sure has been a fun week! We went to that Home Depot place again. And once again yours truly was the star! Daddy walked me around the place while Mommy went to do her own shopping. When we joined back up, I was sooo tired from having people pet me! And so many people wanted to take my picture. Because I really am the STAR you know! There sure are a lot of silly people in this world, though, aren't there? The man last time who told Mommy all about his 200+ Saint Bernard that he rescued but he couldn't control. So he went to some other lady who was disappointed he didn't have "papers" but said she would breed him anyway. WHAT??!! Stars like me should always be well-bred from a respectable breeder! Just because we are big does not mean we are quality! Wow.  Then this last time, Mommy got cornered by a lady who told her about her dog who was also big and then was bred. I am beginning to think Mommy attracts all the whackos! Laugh Laugh!! And who is this Beethoven character anyway....??

We also went to Mommy's favorite training center. Last week people stopped in just to say "HI" to me! That was so fun! But I wanted to say "HI" to all the friendly dogs there! Ruby was cool. Fred and Big both just ran from me. And Puck was fun and played too! Then, after training was over I got to play with some puppies there. Derrick the Cocker Spaniel, of course, and he brought his sister this time too. They were so much fun to play with! Then there were the Doberman siblings. They were kind of bullies. We ran around and around but when I got tired, they started pulling me around by my ears!! Mommy laughed at that :-(  Mean Mommy!  This week, we didn't have as much time to play. But I still chased Fred and Big around. And Akasha too! Akasha and Gimme are good friends. And then there was Ru and Cherokee and Arkeo too! Lost of new friends for me! Angus the Pug was too tired from training to say much....

The only negative of this week was the word "NO". I am starting to hear that a lot. No No! Bad Dog! No No Alf! No No! Don't potty there! No No! Not the gate <snicker>! So tiring. I think I will have to start tuning it out. Who cares about NO? I am all about the yes :-)  Yes, here's some more food. Yes, you can have a treat. Yes, you are a handsome puppy. Ahhhhh, that's more like it!

I am now sleeping mostly through the night. Mommy and Daddy cooled down my room a little bit and made my crate a little bit bigger. That helped. So now I sleep almost a full 8 hours. At least I'm not up one or two times during the night! I guess it's not really my room alone though. I share it with the Danes Gimme and Fox. I hope they are not too cold now that their space heater is off. I just couldn't handle it being on! I'm little, but I've got tons of fur already! Plus, seeing as I am the STAR, I am super spoiled! I guess it helps that the weather has been warm lately too...

See, I told you it's been a super week! So much to see and learn and do and explore and taste! And I understand next week will be even busier with house guests. YEAH! More people to spoil ME, the STAR! Laugh Laugh! I can't wait to see what the next week brings!

Nighty Nite Internet Friends!!

Learning

What a busy couple of weeks it has been for me! Trying to make friends with the "big" dogs (that would be my girlfriend Trekkie the St. Bernard, her best buddy Gimme who is a Great Dane, and the ruler of the house Fox who is also a Great Dane). I think I finally got Trekkie and Gimme to come around to the Alf-side, but only time will truly tell! Trekkie's tail is just oh-so-Yummy! I know she hates it when I pull on it, but I can't help myself! I think, if I truly want to have Trekkie's love, I had better learn not to pull on her tail...

Gimme, on the other hand, ignored me for days! I'd run up to her to try to make friends and she would leave the room! Can you imagine? How could she not love me? Well, today she pawed me and sniffed me and played with me a little! I'm much smaller than she is right now so I think she worries that she's going to break me. HAH! I'm Alf! I don't break that easily! I will learn how to play with Gimme and she will learn to play with me.

As for Fox, I don't think he will ever like me. Maybe I shouldn't have chewed on his toes the other day. He didn't seem to like that. I heard Mom call him her "7-year-old" so I suspect he doesn't have a lot of patience for us younger kids. He's actually alright if I leave him alone. It's when I follow him or walk under his legs, or chew his feet that he realizes I'm there and gets annoyed. When I'm not in his face he mostly leaves me alone. I guess I had better learn to leave him alone....

Aside from the big dogs, I've been trying to learn to be potty-trained. Boy, is that HARD! When I'm running around playing I don't realize I have to go.... until I squat and pee. And boy oh boy, is that starting to upset the new Mommy & Daddy! They could understand in the beginning. But I've been home 11 days now and I still pee all over the place. Although, if I may brag (and it's my blog so I will), I'm getting better. I don't pee all the time. And the new Mommy & Daddy are getting better at seeing when I'm about to go and getting me outside quick. Of course, they always tell me "Good Boy" and "Good Alf" when I go outside. I'll have to try harder to earn their praise!! I love their praise!

AND THEN!! There are the stairs. Laugh Laugh!! I learned how to go up those stairs so quick it made the new Mommy & Daddy's heads spin. Laugh Laugh! There are only 7 of them so quite frankly it was really easy. But don't tell them that. And they still need to carry me down the stairs. Something about making sure my elbows stay good. I don't get it. Maybe there's a story there somewhere.... But back to ME! And the stairs. Yup, everyone was up the stairs and they left ME down below. Can you imagine? So, I did what every warm-blooded puppy would do. I learned to get where they were. Pshaw. So, it's a couple of stairs. Now they can't hide from me! Laugh Laugh!

And we've been on walks around the block to tire me out - or so the Daddy says. I think what it really does is tire him out! And I've met new people from across the street; and kids too! It's been soooooo exciting. I explore everywhere every day. And then I fall asleep. And then I wake up and drink water. Then fall asleep. Then wake up, drink water, and pee. And explore or play. Then sleep. Oh my what a wonderful life so far!

It does keep me busy and tired though. So, until next time, sleep well my internet friends!

Alf