Day 32 Trams

Trams are for lazy people. Heck even the word "tram" is the short version of "tramway" but people who take them are too lazy to pronounce the whole word. Trams are for taking an uncomfortable, busy, stinky means of transport instead of freely walking or running somewhere.

 And Jen is the worst. Sometimes we tram to a place, we walk around there, and then we tram back. What's up with that?

Last thing with trams: they stop like ten times on the way. Cars are smarter, they usually stop at our destination. But trams take a few tries before getting it right (we're lucky it's boats that go on water. Imagine if trams were the water transportation method, and opened their doors before arrival? we'd be flooded and drown every single time!)

Day 30 Oh no I am healthy!

This morning, Jen went to her "small animals" class, in which they include big animals like me.

She told me that she is learning how to repair broken dogs.

I wouldn't mind except that when she comes back from that class, she is so enthusiastic that she starts doing all sorts of experiments.

Capillary Refill Time: consists of poking gums and seeing
how long it takes for the blood to come back (no joke)

Otoscopy

 She palpated me, looked for lymphnodes and misplaced kidneys (luckily I'm not a male, or she would have searched for hidden testicles too), she pressed my gums to estimate my blood pressure, weighed me (27 kilogs), auscultated me (she asked me to stop breathing for a few seconds because she said she could hear my heart better!!), looked into my ear canal and so on...

Veterinarian's pets have it the worst!

She was a bit disappointed because she couldn't find anything interesting, and sadly declared I was healthy!

In the afternoon she took me to class with her. It was about pigs.

The lecture opened on this quote:
I like pigs. Dogs look up to us. Cats look down on us.Pigs treat us as equals.

 -- Sir Winston Churchill

Of course we look up! Humans cheat at being taller by standing on two of their legs!

Now I'm in the mood for a pig ear

After class, we went to see Max again. I brought him the biggest stick I could find!

Stick too heavy!!

We both started munching on each end of the stick. I decided to try something I saw in a movie: the dogs are eating spaghetti, and as they eat it it turns out it is the same piece of pasta... and they briefly kiss! Well the only piece of advice I can give is ... don't try with sticks!

Here we are, sharing the stick, me chewing furiously to get  through it!

Finally, the last thing we did this afternoon was go to a cafe to meet some of Jen's friends.

One of them owns a very small dog called Cayla. She is so small, I wonder if StinkyRat would eat her?

Day 29 Wildlife: the bat and the wolf

Today, Molly found a bat. Lucky her, she managed to roll over it. Now she has the best perfume on! I am jealous.

We put him in a small box, until night comes
because it got a bit discombobulated

I wanted to stick my nose close to the bat, hopefully I'd get bitten and have superpowers like batman (I know I know, he doesn't technically have superpowers, whatever). Jen said the only super-power I'd get would be foam at the mouth and super-aggressiveness. I'm not picky, I'd have taken that power! :)
But Jen said I was vaccinated against it.

Humans!!! Why would you vaccine against super-powers?!

Also today, in the park we met Amalka, a baby wolfdog.

And then we had the older sister of that wolfdog over to our house

A wolfdog is a funny concept. You don't see catdogs, birddogs, or micedogs... Given the choice I'd be a batdog, I already have the right color for it. But leave it to Jen to crush my dreams, one vaccine at a time!

Day 28 Shopping

Today Jen let me semi choose directions of where to walk to. The tennis court was a bit of a too obvious choice, so I decided for something else.

C'mon Jen!

Waiting for green light to cross*

* I don't actually wait for the light to change color. I wait for Jen to change her mind.
When she does, she says "forward" in what she thinks is Czech (but she pronounces it all wrong).

I took us to the mall. I love shopping. I don't have money but Jen does. And coincidentally Jen hates shopping.

I made myself a little list of what I need:

Actually the treats are not for me. I've been thinking, I would like to train Jennifer with positive reinforcement.

For example, I like it when she let's me off leash to play with a dog. I'd give her a treat every time she unbuckles the leash.

I also like it when she gives me treats. So I guess I'd have to reward her back every time she rewards me?

It's this way, follow me!

Jen, are you seriously taking a picture in  the mirror of a changing room?

 In the main area of the mall there was an exhibit. Jen said it's a perfect place to calm down a dog like me.

It's so quiet and relaxing and... boring! Please don't leave me here!

Where is the pet shop in this mall?

Day 27 Old and wise

Today we went to the vegetable market with Nicky. Nicky is the older brown little dog. She barks at us young kids when we run to fast or play too rough.

Jen said I should listen to her, she is old and wise.

I noticed that the wise and smart people in movies always wear a white beard. Today I decided to try that look on me.

You shall not pass!

Jen washed the smudged mud away. She's right. It doesn't suit my personality ... yet :)


A few updates:

I would like to report that Jennifer is walking a lot better on the streets. We are stopping less and she is not often lagging behind. She has the compulsive behavior of shoving a treat in my mouth whenever we pass another dog, before I even get the chance to give them a piece of my mind (well too bad for her, the neighborhood won't know how well she is protected by a fierce dog, moi!)

Roar! 

I will report that Kiwi is still stealing my food whenever I don't finish my meal immediately. The nerve of her! She steals one kibble, one whole kibble!, and goes and chews it under the bed for 5 min. That usually gives me the time to finish the whole foodbowl before she gets back.

I wonder why she wears that mask over her eyes all the time. I wonder if it was Nature's way of warning people "Careful, this animal has no sense of private property". Stinky Rat said she does know what property is. But she said she follows these simples rules:

1. If I touch, it it's mine
2. If it's yours, it's mine
3. If rule 1 couldn't be applied, then me calling dibs works just as well
4. Once it's mine you can't have it back
5. I probably will hide it to ensure rule 4
Luckily she hides most things under the desk, behind her cage or under the bed. So I find everything easily again!


Speaking about eating, Molly decided to not eat my nose anymore. I appreciate that very much, as I use it to read my messages in the park.

Fido said he gained some weight and went on a diet

Hey guys! Trixie just left the funniest urine! Come smell it!

Day 26 Mety guide dog

Today I spent my day reflecting upon what I shall make my career of.

Jen said Ballfetcher is not an actual job.

Or Stick-finder!

But I am so good at it!

Neither is Statuer (I thought about this job after seeing how many pigeons rest on statues...)

I could totally be like M. Statue

Come here pidgies!!

And spies don't actually do like in James Bond movies.

I am invisible in this picture...

Jen said my singing skills are not as impressive as I think they are, so I guess I won't be a singer...

Ambulance song!

I don't know how to drive.

I can control the gear stick though!

I rather walk than drive anyway!

I don't like office-work.

Waiting in front of an office at Jen's university

At the bus/tram center, renewing Jen's card.
I am VIP so I travel free!!

I looked at my jacket and it says "Guide dog school". Was Jen right for all this time? Is this job meant for me? Can I be patient enough? Can I be responsible enough? I don't know.


And frankly, I don't think anyone can answer this for now...

Day 24 The Horse

Heya!

Today I met the strangest looking dog!

It looked funny, it smelled funny and it moved funny.

I just had to tell him how funny it looked!
Jen said I had no manners (I admit it for this one she was a bit right).

We started far from the stable. From far he doesn't look so big, so I was ok. Then we walked around the stable, over and over getting closer every time. If I got too ruffled we would walk back and away. Eventually we got pretty up close.

I also discovered that this type of dog produces amazing little cakes. Warm, brown, sweet-smelling cakes.Yucks! said Jen. Yum, more for me I thought!

Then we went to class. It was about beef! (but they call it "internal diseases of ruminants" to make it sound less good, but that didn't fool me).

Yummy steak!

I studied very hard under the table, snoring the whole time!

Day 23 Semester start

This has been a long long day!

Jen got us up early, and took me for a long walk in the morning. She said she was hoping to beat morning traffic. We didn't. Anyway, we were on foot, why would she care?

Heavy traffic everywhere

I guess Jen is the type of person who would watch the same movie twice, three times or more.

This is what happened:

We went down the street once, I was completely distracted by everything.

When I started pulling, Jen went back the other way. It still was super interesting, so I got excited again and pressed Jen to go faster. She on the other hand decided to turn back the other way (maybe she had missed something in all the excitement?). So we walked back. And forth. Over and over.

Well let me tell you, I am not the kind of person (I mean dog) who watches movies more than once. I eventually got bored of this. I just peacefully stayed by her side until she was done enjoying herself. She had a good time, in fact she got very happy and praised me a lot.

(OK maaaybe I'd watch these movies a few times. They are about me's, but not as well dressed as me)

Jen didn't see the one in the middle. It's about a guide dog actually, she might like it as she brings up the subject every so often. The little jacket she puts on me when she wants me to be serious also has a little guide dog. I wonder why?

Anyway we got home pretty early still, and Jen left me there. She said she was going to university, and that usually she would be able to take me, but this morning she had a practical in small animal internal diseases. Animals... well animals like me she said.

What was that!? I'm no small animal! For example StinkyRat is! I'm a big dog!! And I can behave!

My head is the size of her body!

I was winning the argument, but she also pointed out it can be infectious for me. She described all sorts of diseases she had learned in pathology... Ugh no thanks, I decided to stay home.

She returned soon after, as it happened the practical was only next week.

So we went to town and did more practice. Jen said she was very happy with me this morning and decided maybe I was ready to take on the busy city.

We went to the bank, the people there were very nice and gave me water. Polite as I am, I didn't keep it all for myself and spread it all over the floor for them to share. Jen did a facepalm (I always knew she had bad eye/hand coordination).

Me being calm at the bank.

Oof, the city is indeed tiring! All we had done was come on empty sundays, by rain or by night. 

So many sounds, so many people, so many... pigeons! 

Jen said I was very good. I did lunge a couple times at evil pigeons, and I did get excited by kids running over to pet me, but all in all I was a bit tired and stayed by her side.

After all this I deserved to see Max! Jen said I looked exhausted, but I really insisted. OK, she said, and called Max's mom. We went to meet him in the usual field.

The second I saw him, I had all my energy back. That and even more! Even Max was surprised and didn't know how to deal with me! Hopefully he was impressed...

Now I AM really am TIRED!