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Vote for Your Favorite Shelter!

We voted for Helping Paws Rescue (of course!).




We are so grateful they saved our little Tom.

The Exterminator

I am an expert exterminator. I have been catching bugs for a while now, but every time I get one, Mom is too busy freaking out to remember to get the camera rolling to document my achievement.


Today, a roach scared Mom when she opened a door and it fell right in front of her face! It tried to get away but I pounced on it! Then I snatched it up and carried it away to play with it. ['Playing' with it means Huck flings it all over the living room, repeatedly pouncing on it, pretending it is still alive. This results in bug-parts being smeared all over the carpet. GROSS.]

Tom likes to steal my bug after I have pounced on it. I kill bugs by pouncing and biting, but Tom is too slow for that so he just rolls on them. He always steals my bugs. :(

Advice, Please

Something very bad happened last night. I bit Mom. She was sitting on the floor, in between Tom & I eating popcorn. All of the sudden, I lunged across her lap to snap at Tom but instead of nipping Tom, I nipped her arm and then kept lunging at Tom and he kept growling and fighting me right back. Mom is still sitting on the floor, in the middle of all this, screaming for Dad to help break us up.

She wasn't bleeding but now she has a nasty looking bruise. What is most painful is how hurt she feels inside. This is the first time she has seen me lunge at anything. That's what scares her now. What if I lunged at someone else like a neighbor or a little kid? Am I going to lash out like this again? Will it be worse? What is Mom doing wrong that made sweet Huck become violent and mean like that? Mom thought Tom and I were doing great and we had a peaceful 2 dog house. Am I jealous? Am I not getting enough attention?

Mom feels like she can't trust me now.

Has anyone else experienced this? She feels embarrassed, like she is a bad dog-mom. She feels like she needs that Cesar guy to come over to our house and tell her that she is an irresponsible dog-mom and caused me to morph into an unstable, neurotic dog.

Please share any advice you may have. Mom's obviously emotional and trying to process it all right now.

This is what Mom's arm looks like.

Warning About Toy Recall

We read this and would like to pass it along. It's a warning about a popular toy from Four Paws® called the Pimple Ball with Bell. Please stay safe, friends.

Tom's New 'Do!

Tom was looking very shaggy so off he went to the groomer!

Here's the mini-Ewok before:


And here's after:



and YES he does have a little mohawk!






I think the mohawk suits him so well because he has such a 'tude. Look at how he dominates Huck:

He uses Huck's rear for a pillow!

Hello again!

Sorry for the absence, fellow furkids. Like I said, Mom had to take a break cause she misses Copper who was old and passed on to Doggie Heaven (where I hear there is a 5:1 squirrel to canine ratio. Heaven indeed!).

Mom is pretty busy too. Skool is starting again so Mom is gone a lot more. Tom and I will be left alone ALL DAY on Tuesdays and Thursdays. What a terrible thing. There has been some mentioning of something called "Doggie Daycare" which sounds incredible so we'll see if that works out.

I have been sensing that things are changing and so I have been extra naughty. Last night I pretended I was a pirate and dug for buried treasure (bugs) in Mom's Black-Eyed Susan planters on my deck. She was pretty angry about that one. She was yelling at me and sweeping up all the dirt I flung everywhere in her PJs. She looked like a crazy lady! Then I had to get a B-A-T-H because I had dirt all in my fur on my fuzzy face and front legs. I thought I looked very handsome with my dirty face but she disagreed.

Tom taught me to do this cool thing were if you hear ANY suspicious noises outside, you yell-bark really loudly so all the humans know that a bad guy may be intruding our territory. It drives Mom & Dad nuts! So if a car door slams outside, then Tom & I start barking really loudly and Mom & Dad get mad and start yelling so our house is one loud place!

Should we bark?

Mom got fed up and finally followed the advice of some other terrier moms and filled an old tea tin will some old vitamins. Now she shakes it at us when ever we start yell-barking at intruders. Let's just say we HATE that noisy can so much that we have been allowing ALL intruders to slam their car doors as much as they please without any barking repercussions from us! We are now a much quieter house.


Guard dogs on break. We are good boys.

Copper

Mom's out of sorts lately. She's taking a break from posting for a while.



Rest in peace, Copper. We hope you have fields full of bunnies and squirrels to chase in doggie heaven.

The Running of the Puppehs

No longer do you have to travel to Pamplona to experience the thrill of the Running of the Bulls!


Here is the cuter (and safer!) version:


Stampede!

from Cute Overload

Fireworks?

Today has been great! Mom AND Dad have stayed home with us ALL DAY. We get lonely when they leave all day doing who knows what.

Dad is watching Red Sox on tv. It's cool because Tom and I LOVE all sox (not just red ones) but Dad only likes red ones and he only likes to watch them, not eat them. He's picky I guess. We don't mind Dad watching sox on tv because Tom & me fight over who get to cuddle him and take a nap.

Mom keeps talking about fireworks. We don't know what those are. We'll tell you all about them later. Mom thinks we're going to freak out or something.

Mom's a Lab!

Tom and I took quizzes so Mom had to take one too!

Your family is what makes you tick, and you never "flea" from an opportunity to hang out with the whole gang. A family picnic complete with hot dogs, deviled eggs and a refreshing swim in the lake is hard for you to stray from. Your sparky temperament and dogged intelligence mean you are not only a blast to hang out with, but great to work with as well. Your close pals appreciate your patience and forgiveness, knowing you'd rather let sleeping dogs lie than dwell on the mishaps of the past. Your dashing good looks may one day lead to a modeling career, if only you can tame the unfortunate clumsiness that sometimes causes you to go flailing from the catwalk. Learn more »

FAMOUS LABRADOR RETRIEVERS: Bill Cosby, Jackie Onassis, Dr. Phil, David Beckham

LIKELY PROFESSIONS: Doctor, Sales Executive, Teacher

LOL Tom

more funnies at http://ihasahotdog.com/

Mom LOL-ed Tom! She still trying to decide on a pic for me.

New Discovery: Fur-less Puppies

Something very strange came to visit Saturday night. Two humans came over and dropped off these two miniature things and then LEFT THEM AT MY HOUSE ALL EVENING. No one consulted me about this!

Mom and Dad fussed over these things ALL EVENING. They completely ignored Tom and I. I was put in my crate because I was being bad. Tom didn't seem to care at all. He sniffed each one and then took a nap under the table.

I still have not figured out what these two things were. They smelled so weird and made all these different noises that freaked me out! One slept most of the time but would wake up and make this awful loud noise. I would flip out and run around trying to make that terrible noise stop! Maybe they were puppies? But they didn't have any fur. Fur-less puppies?? If they were puppies, then how come I wasn't allowed to play with them?

I got in BIG TROUBLE because I scratched one on its leg. Dad was holding one in the kitchen so I jumped up to sniff it and then I got yelled at because the "puppy" started to do that screaming thing again because I scratched it when I jumped up. I didn't mean to.

Later those two humans came back and took those weird "puppies" away. Then everyithing went back to normal and Mom and Dad gave me lots of attention.

I'll tell you what: I love puppies. But I DO NOT love those fur-less puppies. I hope they stay away.

TomTom's Claim to Fame!

(*Update: the links work now. Silly Mom)

Mom LOVES this blog -- Cute Overload! She loves it even more now that Tom has been featured on it! Hooray!

His window sunbathing shenanigans got him into a sort of "Hokey Pokey Challenge".

Mom saw this post of a cat doing the hokey pokey with one arm and immediately thought of little Tom's silliness.

Who knew Tom was doing the hokey pokey all along? We just thought he was doing sun salutations!




heehee

Funny Trailer

Our dad just showed us the funniest movie trailer! It's about an old hotel that some kids use to shelter homeless dogs. Our favorite part is when the bulldog gets a shoe from a vending machine. How awesome is that? We asked Mom to search for one on Craigslist (yeah right, Huck!) because we really want one!

Isn't that terrier cute? He looks like Huck!

My Trip to the Vet (another gross post)

I just went to the vet because of my GROSS itchy problem. Remember? Hint: it rhymes with "shmaymul hands". Sure enough, my ummm glands just need to be expressed. They're not infected or anything. The poor vet tech who expressed them simply said, "Yep. They were full." Mom would rather pay the vet to deal with my full glands than do it herself! Ha. The vet did teach Mom how to express them at home so I won't have to go to the vet just to get my butt pinched. We'll see how that transpires...

This is the second time I have had my glands expressed because for some reason, it's not happening when I poop. (Gross alert!) I have nice big hard poops so Mom doesn't know why I have this chronic problem of full glands. If anyone has tips or has this problem too, please post some comments! It's not fun to have an itchy bottom.

Moving on: Unlike Tom, I am not a fan of the vet. I have a bunch of terrier energy and get more anxious in new places. Especially places where they take me away from Mom and poke my bottom in some back room! Tom is a laid back shihpoo, and I am not. Mom appreciates it when people try to tactfully make this assertion after meeting mellow Tom and then crazy me.

Like the nice girl at Pawtropolis who clipped my nails. Usually clipping nails is a one person job for a professional like her. Mom kinda chuckled when she heard her politely say, "Uh, I have a wiggler here!" And then she had to get another girl to help her keep me still. She could have said, "Your terrier is a terror! Why won't he hold still??" She must be very experienced because she just called me a wiggler! It's like a nice word for hyper-psycho dog.

Usually Mom takes me to the dog run before going somewhere like the vet so I get all my hyper-ness out. Unfortunately it has been 90+ degrees everyday so in choosing between overheating at the dog run or handling hyper terrier at the vet, Mom chose the latter.

Tom Goes to the Vet

I don't like the vet. But my mini bro loves it! He's so funny. He was pulling on the leash to get in the door! When we were waiting for the vet to call us, Tom would greet everyone who came in the door with a big HELLO bark. Every human that came in was so surprised by Tom's welcoming them, they would all say, "Well, hello to you too!" right back and then pet him. He is such a charmer.

Tom had to get his ears checked and get a booster shot. He has had stinky, gooey ears. Gross. They have improved since his last visit two weeks ago. They aren't so itchy and gooey anymore because Mom puts ointment in them. They still stink though. He's a stinky boy.

I have a vet appointment soon because Mom's worried about my anal glands. Mom says it's embarrassing but I don't care. I scoot my boot all over the carpet after I go out to do my business. I lick it a lot too. (VERY GROSS, Huck!) Hopefully they're not infected or anything.

Tom seems a little under the weather from his shot. It was so funny because the vet was explaining all the potential complications and side effects Tom might get from the shot and right after she said "vomiting" guess what Tom did? He puked right there! What a good listener. He's sleeping now. We usually play and wrestle a lot but he hasn't felt like doing that. Mom has told me NO several times when I have tried to wrestle him. She says he just wants to rest.

Mom had to wash the big bed comforter because someone (Huck!) puked on it. Now we're not allowed on the big bed anymore. After she washed it, she draped it over all the dining room chairs to dry. Tom thinks this is the coolest thing ever. He likes to hide in this "blanket fort"and chew bones or nap. Here are 2 pics of him recuperating after his vet visit. He doesn't want to be bothered. Trust me.






















coming soon: MY trip to the vet

The Shihpoo and The Barricade

I saw this video on youtube and so we had to try it out with Tom! The outcome wasn't as funny though... I think Tom is a little smarter.

Kitten Update and Adopted Baby Buns

I haven't seen my kittens in a few days. :( I keep looking for them though! Every time I go out back to do my business, I always try to peek over the wall to see of they're wrestling or sunbathing or doing some other cute kitten behavior. Tom still doesn't care. He will help me bark at their mom who we always see around.

I found this cute video of a King Cav who has adopted some little bunnies she found! I'm so jealous! I wish my mom would let me adopt the kittens I found.

Mom has found some info on local shelters/rescues for feral cats. Ideally "my" kittens would be neutered/spayed so they stop making more kittens! She even read about a program for feral cats who are neutered/spayed and immunized then adopted by people who use them as barn cats to trap vermin. The cats live outside but will be fed and have shelter. Sounds great. I will keep looking for my kittens so then maybe they can be given a home.

GUESS WHAT I FOUND!

KITTENS! I found 4 kittens hiding in the bamboo in the yard opposite mine. This is not such a big deal because there are a lot of feral cats in my neighborhood. Mom has been worried about what to do. Should she try to trap them and take them to the Humane Society? I want to keep them! (NO WAY, Huckleberry) Tom has no idea what's going on. Silly Shihpoo.

They're not that young because the mom kept wandering off and leaving them alone.

Here's a pic of us on our deck. See all that bamboo behind us? It's growing in these metal troughs on the other side of a concrete wall. Mom says it's our neighbors' privacy fence. The kittens are hiding out on the neighbors' side of the wall, underneath the troughs. It's probably nice and cool against that wall, under all that bamboo.


Here's an older pic of Coco and I peeking over the wall, into the neighbors' yard. The kittens would be to our right.

Happy Birthday to Biggie!

We wanted to wish our furry cousin Biggie a BIG Texas-Kuvasz style HAPPY BIRTHDAY! It's his first birthday! ...so does that make him 1 or 7 years old...hmmm

We knew Biggie would like this because check out those socks! Wowsers!

King of the Trampoline

Mom has this new thing called a trampoline. We think it's pretty cool. Tom and I have a new game we play: KING OF THE TRAMPOLINE!

Incessant Barking

We've been driving Mom and Dad nutso lately. I didn't used to bark so much, just once in a while when I got hyper and did my laps around the house (Huck's "laps" entail high speed running all around the living room and up and down the stairs like a roadrunner). But Tom has taught me how to bark. He likes to bark for all sorts of reasons. Like when we are supposed to be doing business out back, he will bark to let all the neighbors know that he has come outside. Or if he hears a car drive by our house he will bark to let us know a car has driven by. He barks when he is napping, chewing a bone, and carrying a toy. I think he just likes the sound of his own voice. When he barks it gets me all riled up so I start barking too. Mom then starts barking, telling us to shut up!

Which Celeb Would YOU Be?

I saw this on my cousin Biggie's blog and had to try it for myself!

This is my result:


Up for Anything
"Huckleberry trots a fine line between funny and stupid. His over-the-top antics make you grimace with fear and you often find it hard to believe that he actually enjoys playing the class clown. But Huckleberry laps it up and continues to defy the odds, despite your warnings and concerns. Other males in the pack tend to be a little jealous of Huckleberry, but the females find him simply dreamy. A die-hard good ol' boy, Huckleberry is more of a General Lee type than a Knight Rider, but give him enough time to think things through and he's sure to find a way to wreck both vehicles at the same time."


Ha, that's funny! I think it pretty accurate. Check out Tom's results:



"Enterprising, brassy and not afraid to bark what's on his mind, Tom is Idol-maker Simon Cowell! There's no beating around the bush with Tom and flattery will get you nowhere. Tom calls it like he sees it, and stands firm on all fours behind his decisions. The cat definitely does not have Tom's tongue—some of his pals think he's bitter and confrontational, while others find him to be impawsibly hilarious. Tom's influence on those around him is remarkable, and he takes advantage of this fact and uses it wisely. Behind his no-nonsense mask, Tom is a perceptive sponge, taking in what he sees and hears around him, and then figuring out how to make it look, or sound, better."

Try the quiz yourself and tell me who you are like!