Day 109 Cars, poker and sticks

I don't like cars.
In fact, the more time goes, the more I hate them.

And they stink

They woosh past me too fast.
We try to cross the street. A car comes too close. So I try to run away. But Jen is still connected to me (she attaches her leash to my collar, I think she is scared to get lost without me). So Jen let's out a big grumble. She proceeds to explain to me how this is dangerous. Except she explains this while still in the middle of the street! The cars get impatient. Jen shouts back to the cars to be patient. The cars get aggressive. And I get scared.

I wish Jen wasn't French and was more afraid of cars! :(

My ears are always opposite direction to cars

Which brings me to my second problem today: my ears are always telling on me.
Sometimes I pretend to listen to Jen (she talks a lot) but I am actually not really listening and instead I am focusing on a bird that dared land on the sidewalk. Except that... my ears point to what I am thinking! And Jen gets offended! It is so annoying!
Now I understand why most dogs have their ears down. It is so much more discrete! I will never yell at Buddy again to keep his ears up!

Ears down: bored or sleepy

1 ear up: I am half focused... 

2 ears up! I am ready and focused!

2 ears up! I look focused! (but this time my eyes are betraying me!)

In fact, this whole ear pointing and tail wagging is a bit annoying for us. It makes it extremely boring when we play poker, we always know who has what!

Me and my buds, playing poker

Let me also tell you about the German Shepherd complex. We are not alone in this, but we are very prone into falling under this curse. It can be summarized as such: No stick is big enough.

I can't speak my mouth is full!

The stick is not too big...
My mouth is just too small!

I'm pretty sure that's how you get German shepherd pedigree papers: by the size of sticks you carry... That or claiming you are king/queen of the world no matter what!

Day 107 Sneaky money and glimpse of Colonel Pidgy

Today while doing errands we found this.

Teeheehee

It's a pretend-guide-dog made out of stuffing. At the top there is a slot for people to donate money to the guide dog's association (not mine though... another one!). That gave me an idea:

Jen sighed and said no, that would be stealing.
Naaaaah I disagree! That wouldn't be stealing if I do become a guide dog in the end! Silly Jen! She's the one who complains about money when I ask for more toys and treats!

After that, Jen went to study some Czech because she wants to write to Dajan and her family. So we stayed downtown on a bench on the main square so I could work on my staying-calmness (how thoughtful...not! I voted for the park instead!)

Guess who turned up? Evil colonel pigeon!

 He said he had no time for a fight because a falcon was after him, and flew off. Ha! Serves him right!

In the park there weren't many dogs so we played stick.

I love my sticks!

Jen complains I slobber on the sticks. Well duh! Isn't that the point for a stick? To be stick-y? :)

Day 46 Check up

After having a hard time for the past week to find a time, I finally went to meet Milan today, my actual owner, so he could see how well I progressed.

 Jen told me to be at my best, but I am always my best! 

I behaved really well and he said I was doing really good. About a minute later I whacked him in the knee with a giant stick I found :D

No really, it is a true story!

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 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 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!

Day 22 Molly's birthday

Today is my Molly's birthday!
Jen got her a pig's ear. I told her I will take it to Molly for her. I took the gift alright, went to Molly's bedroom and came back without it.

Jen wasn't so easy to fool though, she saw through my trick, retrieved the pig's ear and made sure I gave it properly. Harumpf, I also want one!!!!


Today was quite rainy, but we went walking anyway. It's a good opportunity to go to the city without all the
hustle and bustle.

Jen, you have a rain coat... I don't

Training on a bridge the sit/stay, it was easy peasy

As we got home, Jen took care of taking out laundry (indeed I had done a good job yesterday of making all my stuff dirty).
But then I see that.... Noooooooo she deleted all my data!! She erased everything off my rope!

I had collected a large collection of smells from all dogs around, I had dragged it in the mud and in the snow, how could she do this to me?!

Grrr... the next chance I get I am deleting all her iPod music!