Thursday, June 30, 2011

WOW #2 Meeting the rest of the family

Wow! Thank goodness I FINALLY got a turn on the computer! Mummy took it to work with her today and LEFT ME AT HOME! See this is one of those times when she doesn't seem to understand what I'm telling her. (In this case: "hey! You forgot me! Come back! Come back!") Oh well. Anyway moving on with the tips, once you've chosen your new parent(s) you'll start to meet the rest of the family.

In my case, I met Turbo first. (My brother, you remember, I mentioned him yesterday) Turbo is a really great brother. He never gets mad even if you chew on his leg, sit on him, or bop him on the head with a football. This was our first afternoon together.




When you're meeting siblings for the first time, it's important to let them think they're in charge, even if they're really not. It makes it easier for them to welcome you into their home. Remember, they were there first. Fortunately for me, Turbo was very easy going so I didn't have to try very hard.

It's a good thing too because I DID have to try a little harder with the next family member I met. Sometimes you run across a problem you weren't anticipating and you need to be prepared for those. Auntie A, that's Mummy's sister, thought that she was afraid of dogs. She thought so until she met ME that is. I worked on her for a while, looking adorable (remember that's key!) and crawling over to sleep on top of her foot. She came around fairly fast. She still doesn't want me to kiss her, but I persist. One day she'll have to give in! After all, who could resist THIS?


Now Auntie M was different, (That's M, NOT Em! We're not visiting Oz in this blog.) I had her at "hello" I think she's Mummy's sister too, although she really doesn't look as much like her as Auntie A does...oh well. Mummy and Auntie M and Auntie A all work together and I work with them. Watch for my entry on puppies working in the near future. Cousin D works in the same building too. I LOVE Cousin D, we're buds! One day, Mummy and Auntie A took me to visit Uncle M (there are a LOT of Uncle M's actually, but this one is Mummy's brother, so I came up with different names for the others. Cousin B was there too so I got to meet both of them at one time. I fell asleep next to Uncle M's chair (looking as adorable as possible).

Be sure to keep in mind when meeting the family:

1. Let all sibling dogs think they're the boss.

2. Be patient with nervous or shy family members. They'll come around.

3. Be friendly with everyone, you never know when you might be greeting a relative!

4. Adorableness is essential!

Wednesday, June 29, 2011

WOW #1: How to Choose a Good Adoptive Family



1. It's extremely important to be as adorable and irresistible as possible. This is a picture of me with my brothers and sister. (I'm the one taking a little rest) Fortunately all of us were extremely adorable (and we still are!)

2. When meeting prospective parents forget about the superficial stuff! You want to find the ones who SMELL right. They should smell like good cooks because eating is VERY important! (I like a tasty bowl of kibble with butter sauce myself). Also check to see if they smell like other dogs. You want to take this into account when choosing. If you want siblings (like I did) choose someone who has dogs already. If you're more the diva/only dog type, choose a family without other pets.

This is me with my brother, Turbo. (Yes we ARE both named after cars. How smart you are!)

3. Another thing to look for in a new Mummy is whether or not she understands you. Not everyone knows what you mean when you say "woof", shocking but true. When your spoken language vocabulary is somewhat limited you need to be careful to choose a new mother who understands all the subtle nuances. My mummy is pretty good but sometimes even she doesn't seem to "get" what I'm telling her. More about THAT later.

4. You also want understanding of personality. If your brother should happen to poop on the leg of the table next to the well (STAY AWAY FROM WELLS!) instead of in the grass like you and all the others did, make sure your prospective mummy laughs indulgently rather than acting horrified. Horror is a bad sign in a prospective puppy parent! (LOVE that alliteration!)

5. I think nice cushiony people are the best choices for parents. They make a comfy lap for you to cuddle on and they're often better cooks! Bony laps are not very comfortable!

6. Be SURE to be as adorable as possible! I can't stress this adorable thing enough. It's like location in real estate.

Puppies and other dogs looking for a home, follow these few simple rules and I'm sure you'll end up with a Mummy and family as nice as mine!

Welcome to WOW (Words of Wisdom) by Bentley


Hi there! I'm Bentley the Basset Hound. I live with my Mummy and go to work with her every day...well...almost every day. I've learned a lot of things in the last two years and so I thought it was my duty to share with others so that they can get the most out of their lives too. So without further ado, let's get started right at the very beginning!