WOW #9 Visiting Family

Visiting family is so much fun! Especially MY family. They're all so loving! And they know how to have a good time together: food, laughter, food, stories, food, catching up, food...I LOVE my family!

One of my favorite visits though was the first summer I lived with Mummy. She used to go somewhere almost every weekend and for some reason she didn't take me! And I was always so good at work...I never understood that! Anyway she didn't want to leave me alone when I was so little and all of her friends were lined up to spend time with me so I made lots of new friends. They were SOOO fun! I loved them all!

Cousin D has been a favorite of mine right from the beginning though. He's like me: super cool! The day HE took care of me, we went to his parents' house. That was great too! I love Uncle M and Auntie V (with the great toes) and cousin W was there too, home from school (whatever that is) for the summer. (I never went to school-whatever that is-but I got tutored. That's how I got so smart.) Cousin W is really nice too and smart! She said I was the cutest dog ever! SEE how smart she is? She was also sharp enough to take some pictures that day or I wouldn't have any to use for this post.

The first thing we did was fix dinner...SEE how great they are??! Cousin D cooked the steaks on top of the big hot thing out on the deck. I supervised from the sun room.

"I like mine rare Cousin D!"















After lunch I was a little tired so Cousin D got me settled for a nap. He was really nice about it too, he stayed right with me and was very still so I could get some sleep.

I did have to wake up a little and see what it was Cousin W was doing.

Well...sorta anyway.















After nap time we played some and I got a little tired again. This is what happened when Cousin W came back from someplace she called "The Gym"...is that like school I wonder?

I started to follow her but her legs are a lot longer than mine and I...just....couldn't........keep.............up............zzzzzz
Oops, sorry, just the thought of it made me tired all over again. So here's a few rules for visiting the family.

1. Make sure everyone there knows how much you love them. Give them hugs, kisses, toe licks and snuggles.

2. Repeat #1 frequently so they won't forget that you really, really care.

3. It is polite to be extremely enthusiastic about the food. After all, they've gone to a lot of trouble.

4. If they make a nice place for you to take a nap, take full advantage.

5. Be interested in everything, even if it interrupts your rest time. That's how they'll know you still care.

6. If you absolutely MUST, it is permissible to stop, drop and nap when and where you run out of energy. They'll probably just think it makes you more adorable.

7. When it's time to go, be sure to thank everyone, preferably with kisses. After all, you definitely want to be invited back again!

WOW #8 Workin' Dog Part 1

It's very important to have a job. It helps your family out, gives you a feeling of self-worth and keeps you from being bored! Every dog has a job to do although most work from home; whether it's in the house entertaining the family, helping on the family farm or just giving your adopted family something to do (like take you for walks, feed you, bathe you, feed you, play with you, feed you) every one of those jobs is important. I have a job I have to commute to though. Fortunately it's working with my Mummy and Auntie A and Auntie M and sometimes Auntie V. (I LOVE Auntie V, she has GREAT toes!)

I started working just a few days after I came to live with Mummy. I really enjoy my job! My first day, Auntie M gave me my own desk and a personal assistant.

And of course I needed some office supplies too:

Then me and my assistant got right down to business:

Uhh, no not that one, this is the one where we got to work:

Hmm, well I KNOW we got to work at some point! Oh well.

Anyway here's how to get started right in your new job:

1. Make sure your workspace is set up properly.
2. Establish a proper working relationship with your assistant.

3. It's very good to have CONNECTIONS! Make friends with everybody you meet!
4. Excessive adorableness is a MUST!

5. Power naps are KEY to success!

There's a lot more you should know about Dogs On the Job, but I don't want to overwhelm you so we'll come back to this topic in the future. For now just remember to start your week with enthusiasm and a smile; no matter where you work.

WOW #7 How to have beautiful toenails

WHEW!! I didn't think the electricity was EVER going to come back on! It would be on for a minute or so and then POW!! it was off again! But now it seems to be back on for good. I hope Mummy isn't upset that I stayed up so late, but my muse wouldn't let me sleep.

I had a really strong urge to explain to everyone the proper procedure for getting a pedicure so that everyone has a chance to be that much more adorable.

Today was toenail cutting day and I wanted to get it all down while it was fresh in my mind, so here without further ado are the pedicure rules:

1. This is first because it's the most important: make SURE there are enough cookies! At least one for each toenail. Check on this before you begin. You do NOT want to be caught short on cookies.

2. Get completely relaxed. Trust me: that "snap" noise isn't nearly as upsetting if you're in the zone.

3. Be REALLY careful that your owner will only snip a little at a time so your toes don't get pinched-MY Mummy is super cautious about this.

4. You MUST get a cookie after each snip – don’t let them go to the next toe until you have a piece of cookie safely in your mouth!

5. You can try to trick your owner into giving you more than one cookie per toe by jumping up and backing away. This doesn't work if your mom is as smart as MY Mummy. She never falls for it so I don't waste a lot of energy trying. You don't want them to give up and go back to what they were doing before, because THEN you won't get ANY cookies at all!



6. Once you’re done, you should get a WHOLE big cookie and lots of praise for being such a good dog!

Yaay, we’re done and my feet look beautiful again.

Keep these tips in mind and you'll be the envy of every dog in the neighborhood. (Oh, and a little drool on the ears never hurts anyone!)

WOW #6: Guests

I LOVE guests! Guests are wonderful! You definitely want to have lots of guests in your home, or if you're a working dog like me, in your place of business. Yesterday my good friend Auntie ViolinK came by with her children C and M. And they brought COOKIES! Guests who bring cookies are just DA BOMB!!

We had a really good time, but I kept having to show everybody where the cookies were! Humans forget these things really fast if you don't remind them.

Children are really fun to play with and C drew me some pictures too:

I don't know why this one will only go in upside down. I guess you'll have to stand on your head so that you can see how I got the "Crown of Cute" consider it your exercise for the day.

When you have guests, be sure to remember these tips:

1. Welcome all visitors enthusiastically. Especially if they have cookies.

2. Keep everyone entertained. After all they came especially to see you.

3. Remind people of the location of the cookies frequently. (Remember, humans tend to forget these things if you don't)

4. Have FUN!!! Guests like to think that their visit made you happy.









5. Be adorable and you too may earn the "Crown of Cute"

WOW #5 The Parade

Happy Independence Day everyone! I hope you're having a fun day. If you're going to see fireworks, stay safe. I don't like fireworks myself. They hurt my ears!

What I like is the 4th of July Parade in Ashland, VA. Now THAT is my kind of fun! I've been going to the parade ever since I was a little puppy...THREE whole years now! I get to march in the Basset Brigade. The first year I was only 10 weeks old and so I had a very special way of marching:

That's my Uncle J. He and his wife Auntie S are good friends of mine and Mummy's.

Yes Uncle J gave me a lift down the parade route that first year, but after that, he wouldn't do it anymore. I don't know why not...

(That was this year AFTER the parade)

Another fun thing about parades is meeting friends both new and old ones

that's my brother, Angus when we were puppies. The next one is him now. (He didn't come to the parade last year.)

I'm the one with the red collar and that stupid thing Mummy makes me wear sometimes. I HATE it!

My girlfriend Beatrice comes too. She lives with Auntie S and Uncle J. She is SO pretty and SOOO smart! She told me the truth about chocolate and dogs! This is what she looks like...

Nice huh? She was in the parade today too. We all marched along and greeted all the people who had come especially to see us. Auntie A took a video, maybe I can post that tomorrow. After the parade we all rested and tried to get the humans to give us something to eat, but nobody would, they didn't even DROP anything! Can you believe that?

Here's the best way to enjoy a good parade.

1. Get someone to carry you if you can. Both in the parade and on the way back to the car

2. Be as adorable and lovable as you possibly can. Don't forget to greet people graciously, after all, they came out on a hot day especially to see you.

3. After the parade is over, REST. That was hard work! You deserve it! (If you can get your mummy to fan you, that's good too.)

4. Look longingly at all the humans who are eating. The lovely Beatrice will demonstrate:

5. Costumes are okay, but inconvenient...

6. Finally: whatever else you do, be sure to have FUN, that's what it's all about!

WOW #4 The WELL!!!

Happy Sunday everyone! Now look, I know this is a holiday weekend and I know it's hot, but my advice is this (especially for all Basset-style dogs):

STAY AWAY FROM WELLS!!!!

My brother Tank almost drowned one time when he got too close to the well at Grandma's and fell in. Grandma jumped in and saved him! He SAYS he knows how to swim now, but I still think keeping your distance from the well is the best way to go. That's what I always do! You'll never believe this but Auntie A actually GAVE me and Turbo a well the summer I first went to live with Mummy! Usually she's a lot smarter than that. Hmm....

Mummy put me IN it (can't believe THAT either!) and I jumped right out! She put Turbo in too and he actually stayed in! He said it felt good on his feet...as if THAT made it safe!

After that though we both stayed out of the well and let Mummy take pictures of us next to it.

We didn't want Auntie A to feel bad, even if she DID go slightly crazy there for a while! Mummy says Auntie A LOVES the well and goes to the one in her neighborhood every chance she gets. Of course...she can swim. Mummy can't swim so she really doesn't like the well either.

Another thing you have to remember is that the well can show up everywhere! There's the little one Auntie A gave us, there's a bigger one at Grandma's house and once when Mummy and I went to visit Uncle Boss Man (more about him another time), he had a GREAT BIG well that stretched out as far as you could see one way and then when you turned and looked in the opposite direction, there it was stretching out as far as you could see THAT way too! I wouldn't go near it. I stayed right next to Mummy. Mummy said that well is called the James River. Who knew they had names? I wonder what Grandma's well is called....

So to sum up: my recommendation is to stay as far away from wells as you can. And watch out for them, they sneak up on you if you're not careful! If you absolutely have to be around them though, it's a good idea to learn to swim like my Auntie A and my brother Tank.

Have a safe Independence Day. Wait until you see what I'll be doing tomorrow to celebrate!

WOW #3: How to Handle Unexpected Events (AKA Emergencies)

What a day! Mummy and Auntie A and I were on our way to work this morning when all of a sudden there was this LOUD thud and then Silver (that's Mummy's car) started making this loud screeching noise! Mummy pulled Silver over to the side of the road and she and Auntie A got out to look and see what was wrong. I don't know what they were saying, they wouldn't let me get out too. Then Mummy got back in the car and flipped some switches and told Auntie A that it was the air conditioner making the noise. She was really upset because she said the city ought to repair crater-sized potholes before people's cars get damaged. Anyway, we headed on to work but then we could smell a burning smell. Auntie A said it smelled like the brakes to her. I don't know how she can tell. So Mummy turned and went a different way. I was very interested in all of this, but I didn't say anything. When the humans are upset or excited, it's the pet's job to stay calm and supportive and not make any extra trouble or excitement.

We stopped at this place we go to occasionally, Mummy knows all the people there because that place is one of our clients. I like visiting because Uncle Santa Claus works there! He checked Silver out and said it was okay for Mummy to drive him the rest of the way to work and the guys there could look him over better. While we were waiting, Mr. Mailman came in. I was very surprised to see him because he usually comes to see me at MY office. I wasn't as surprised to see HIM as he was to see ME though. For a minute he just stood outside the door and stared at me like he couldn't believe it!

After that, we got back in Silver and went on to work. Cousin D and my pals, the Tech Guys, worked on Silver so his air conditioner didn't make a horrible screech on the way home. I just love happy endings!

Here are my tips for handling unexpected events (aka emergencies)
1. Stay calm! An upset pet is not going to help matters.

2. Look concerned and/or puzzled. It makes the humans feel that they're understood and that you care about their problem.

3. Be friendly to all the people you meet during the adventure. It never hurts to make new friends. (Being adorable helps with this!)

Keep these things in mind and you should be fine and your human will be too.