Thursday, January 27, 2011

Good News

Dear Gavin,
I have some news! Great news as far as I am concerned. That dog, Zeke, will be leaving here today! Things are not going too well between Zeke and Oscar. Not only that, I do not like this big dog at all. He wants to play with me, but he is too rough. I bit him a couple of times. I was really brave, cause Papa was holding me while I did this. But ................ last night was the worst night of all!


Last night was the first time that Papa was at work and Gramma had to get Zeke inside and handle him alone. He came in and things were going okay. He jumped up on the couch, even though Gramma told him "NO" and "DOWN". So, Gramma told him to sit and he did. He was on one side Of Gramma and Emmy and I were on the other side. Emmy was actually hiding underneath me. Oscar was on the floor. Gramma was petting Zeke and talking to him about our rules. She gave him a good scratch on his neck and he seemed to enjoy it. He gave Gramma a big sloppy kiss and she told him he was a good boy. She was still petting him when all of a sudden he stood up and lunged for ME! Yikes! I was taken totally off guard and I snapped at him. He leaned on Gramma and pinned her to the couch. She could not move! She only had one arm free and she was holding me with that arm. Emmy began crying and whimpering and Gramma was telling Zeke "NO, DOWN ZEKE, BAD, ZEKE!!" But Zeke did not listen and he started growling at me and baring his teeth! Oscar jumped onto the couch to protect us and Gramma finally pulled her other arm loose to push Zeke away and he bit Gramma!!


Can you believe this? Gramma was very upset. She grabbed me and Emmy into one arm and put us in her bedroom and closed the door, then she went and grabbed Oscar and came into her bedroom and closed the door. When Papa came home, that is where we were. Gramma's hand was hurting and she was upset. Zeke bit Gramma on her arthritis joint. He did not make her bleed and that was a good thing. Oh my boy, was Oscar ever mad! He said it is important to let Gramma tell us what to do, because she is the real boss around here. Papa and Gramma left us dogs in the bedroom and finally got Zeke in his kennel. Then all of us small dogs got back on the sofa with Gramma and Papa so we could listen to them talk. Gramma didn't say anything at first, but Papa said that Zeke would have to go. Gramma was sad for Zeke. His other person never taught him manners and he is used to having the run of the house. We have rules here. I have told you about them, right? Well, Gramma thinks that Zeke has learned too many bad habits and he is so big and so strong that Gramma can't teach him. Gramma and Papa were sad, but us dogs are sooooooooooo happy that he is going to live with someone else!!


Right now Zeke is in our back yard. See the picture of me in the parking lot? Can you see me against the snow? The snow is white and I am white. I could easily hide in the snow! Well, because Zeke is in our backyard, I am having to relieve myself in the parking lot! Oh, and you should see the back yard! That big dog has destroyed it!! He took the screen out of the window!!! Gramma is none too pleased with his shenanigans.


Inside was not much better. Do you see him standing on the table? That is strictly prohibited (that is a word that means you better not do it or you will be in big trouble). Gramma is still a little sad, though. She said that she wanted Zeke to have a good life, but that we are not the right family for him.

All I know is that I am in the right family and I am happy to see Zeke go live with another family. I have the best family of all! I have a family here in Missouri and I have family in Minnesota! And ........ I have the best boy in the whole world! Don't forget I love you the best!

Your happy dog, Wall-E


Sunday, January 23, 2011

Dear Gavin,

Emmy here. Wall-E asked me to fill you in on this new dog, Zeke. Your Papa brought Zeke here to live with us today and let me tell you, so far it has been very unsettling!


Wall-E is just beside himself! Take a look at Gramma's computer ........... he is shedding all over it! Gramma says she will have to get the vacuum cleaner out again to take care of this shedding situation. It is very cold here, we are not supposed to shed our coats in winter.

Gramma says that Zeke is stressed, too and that we should be nice to him. Really, he hasn't been so very nice to me! He has stalked me all day and has managed to slime my whole body with his slobber. I am hoping that I will have a nice warm bath tonight before I go to bed. Gramma just changed the sheets on our bed, so we usually have our baths on the same day that she does this.

About those sheets ........ Gramma put them in a pile on the floor and I managed to hide from Zeke in them. I felt all safe and warm in the sheets that smelled like Gramma and Papa and Wall-E and Oscar and me. I don't recommend this hiding spot, though. I was almost put into the washing machine along with these sheets!! Good thing I am black and the sheets were white. Gramma saw me and took me out. Your dog Wall-E had a good laugh at my expense.



Zeke came complete with all of his toys and a kennel. Zeke would not stop getting on the couch. Gramma got the fly swatter and swatted him and told him "NO", but it did not seem to bother him at all. The rest of us know that when Gramma gets out the fly swatter that she has had enough and we had better behave. I say we, but I really mean Oscar and Wall-E. I rarely do things that annoy people. Really. I am almost perfect. My bad breath is the only negative thing about me. Ask anyone. But, back to the kennel. Papa put Zeke in his kennel so that he would stop jumping all over the furniture and Gramma. Gramma said she needed some peace.

Wall-E is watching that kennel to make sure Zeke does not escape as I sit here writing this letter to you. I must tell you that Wall-E is an exceptional watch dog. I rely on him a lot now that I am developing cataracts on my eyes. Oh, I can still see, but it looks a little fuzzy. Sometimes Wall-E and Oscar have to tell me what I am looking at. Gramma tells me that bloodhound have a fine sense of smell and that Zeke will soon be as protective of me as Oscar and Wall-E are. I am afraid he is going to step on me.

Wall-E was upset about the whole shedding thing, but I had to look close to even see his hair. Papa came inside and Gramma suggested that we let Zeke out of the kennel and take him outside for a bathroom break. Papa said he really didn't see the need, since Zeke pooped on the floor as soon as he brought him here. I thought Gramma would get really mad about that, but she said that Zeke was upset and disoriented and that she had expected it would happen. She did make Papa clean it up, though.

Oscar is handling this whole situation much better than Wall-E and I. He said that he would simply let Zeke know that he was in the boss. He has bitten Zeke a couple of times and Zeke backs away. Wall-E tried it, but his bark came out like a squeak. Maybe we should keep that part just between us, okay. I would like to take this opportunity to thank your mom for my steps! I use them all the time. Oscar still prefers jumping when Gramma is watching, but he uses them when he thinks no-one can see him.

Zeke went outside with Wall-E and Gramma was right, he did need to go out. He played with us a bit. Mainly he chased Wall-E in circles and tried to get under the coffee table! He conked his head and Gramma petted him and hugged him. Oscar and Wall-E did not like that. Wall-E is afraid that Gramma will love Zeke more than him. That is just silly, Gramma loves us all. Wall-E says that he feels bad because Zeke and Oscar and I are pedigreed and he is not. Pedigrees don't really matter all that much. I am not afraid of not being loved. I mean, just look at me, what's not to love!
Wall-E should be back to his old self soon and will write you with more updates on the new dog, Zeke. I know he is missing you today. He told me he wished his boy was here to hold him and keep him safe. Don't you worry, though, Gramma and Papa won't let anything happen to your dog!
Love, Emmy







Wednesday, January 19, 2011

Betrayed

Dear Gavin,

Just look at Papa with that other dog. Do you see this? I am quite indignant. Oscar told me this word to say. I was just going to say that I was kind of mad at Papa for bringing this dog into our house. Then I heard them talking about this dog living in our house and I was really upset. And , then, as if all this was not bad enough, Papa scolded me! He scolded me for not liking this dog! Me, his loyal companion. I keep Papa warm at night in his bed. I always sit near Papa when he is at home. He even said I was the best dog he ever had. Please don't tell the others, okay?

This dog is a bloodhound. I don't even know what that means. Gramma says he is just a puppy. I don't care for him at all, puppy or not. We were perfectly happy here without this new dog.


It happened this morning. I was sitting with Gramma while she drank her coffee and played with her computer. Gramma always plays with her computer while she has her coffee. Papa went outside and said he would be right back. Papa always goes outside in the morning. A little bit later we heard Papa's truck. Papa did not come in the door, though. He came in the store door. Gramma made me and Oscar go outside. She kept Emmy inside and we heard her bark for just a few minutes. Then she came and got just me, Oscar had to stay outside. She told me to be nice, that she wanted me to meet someone. I saw this dog looking into our house!!


Gramma took me into the store. I was so scared!! That dog was so big. I got myself under the table and stayed there. Oh, and I barked. A lot. Gramma got mad at me! She had to drag me out and then she put me in our house and took Oscar in to meet this big dog she called Zeke. So, I thought to myself, "Okay, Zeke, you are in for it now!" I knew Oscar would not be afraid to let this bloodhound know who was boss here. I sat right behind the door and waited to hear Oscar take this dog down ............... Nothing happened. Oscar liked this dog called Zeke! I have never felt so betrayed!


Gramma told Papa that she felt like things were going well and then she let Zeke into our house! I got on the back of the sofa so that I could be taller than a bloodhound and look down at Zeke. I quit barking, but I growled the whole time. This dog named Zeke did not seem to care what I did. I found that to be very annoying. It made me want to just bite him! As if that wasn't bad enough, Emmy told me to calm down and just ignore him.


Oscar started playing with this dog and running after his stupid ball. I refused to play, though. I was too mad. Oscar and Papa betrayed me, I tell you, and I wanted them to know. Gramma picked me up and she told me that she still loved me and she kissed my face. But she was tricking me, because then she sat down in thefloor and called Zeke over. He was all nice and calm, but I was still very mad and would noy be nice to him. Gramma scolded me and told me if I could not be nice that I would have to spend the afternoon in my kennel! What? She told me that she would put the door back on and lock me in! Gramma betrayed me, too!


The betrayal goes on, too. You will not believe it, but even Miss Yvonne betrayed me! Miss Yvonne tells Gramma to let me go in the store to see her and everybody else all the time. She said I was the best little dog ever. Then she comes in to meet this bloodhound, too. Just look at them all huggy. Betrayed, I tell you, they have all betrayed me. Even that cat just watched Zeke calmly and never hissed at him or anything. Betrayed by every single one!
I wish you were here, my boy. I know that you would not have been led to betray me by the good looks of this young bloodhound with his wrinkly sad face. Would you? No, of course not. Zeke went back home, but Gramma says that he will be coming to live with us next week. I don't know if I am going to like it, but I don't know for how long I can growl and bark. This has not been a real good day for me, my boy. Really, really bad day.
Your betrayed dog, Wall-E




Sunday, January 2, 2011

Dear Gavin,

All of us dogs are resting. We had a very busy weekend. Gramma said it was a holiday celebration. Celebration? New Year? What is all this? Gramma and Papa and us dogs usually rest a lot when it is cold outside. When it is cold outside the campers stay home.

Emmy said to get ready for this celebration Gramma would be in one of her cleaning moods. She told me to be good and stay out of the way. I tried, I really did.


The sun came out and melted all that snow and it was warm outside!! I was excited to go out and play in the back yard. I asked Oscar to come out with me and chase the ball, but he said he wanted to take a nap. So, I went out all by myself. I ran and I ran. I picked up the ball and I put the ball down. I got bored. Then I saw it. The wind was blowing and Papa had been in the gate when the snow was on the ground. He did not shut the gate all the way. I went over to check it out. My head fit through and I was only going to look, really, I was. But when I looked I saw all the big open fields and I wanted to run. I couldn't help myself! I crawled out the little opening and I was free! The wind was blowing through my hair. I ran through the puddles left by the melted snow. I felt great, my boy, I was having the time of my life!


As I was exploring I noticed that some animals must have pooped when it was snowing and now the poop was all mushy and smelly. I knew better, my boy, I really did. I could not seem to control the urge to smear this all over my body. At first I was only going to smell it. Oh my, it was of the most delectable smell of girl dog!!!!!!!! I wanted to meet this dog! I was hoping that she would be nearby and be able to find me, so I smeared her poop all over me. you know, so she could smell me. But, before another dog found me, I heard my name. It was Gramma. She didn't sound mad. She just called out my name and said it was time to come in. I saw her and I ran as fast as I could to her. It is not a good thing to run away from Gramma. This is a rule at Gramma's house. Gramma explained to all of us dogs that big trucks and motor homes come into our kampground and it is not safe for us. Gramma loves us.


I ran to Gramma and when she saw me she was not happy. She reached down to pick me up. She wrinkled her nose and told me that I was a bad boy. She scrubbed me THREE times with my special shampoo. The whole time she was scrubbing she was using her words and scolding me. She picked me up and dried me off, then mopped all the floors in our house. Too bad I didn't let her know how bad my stomach hurt. I threw up on her floor. Oscar laughed and told me I was in the dog house. I don't get it.


All these people came to our house. They kept hugging each other and saying "Happy New Year".


Gramma wore this thing in her hair. She tried putting it on me. I did not like it.


Even Miss Yvonne wore one! She helped Gramma get everything ready for all the guests.



Gramma thought it would be a good idea for us dogs to stay in the back of the house for the party. She put this gate up and put our favorite blanket and dog bed back in her bedroom. We did not like it.


Emmy said, "Let's howl!" We did.


This is a picture of me helping Gramma show Crazy Tom and My Johnnie how to use the remote for the TV. They had lots of food out and I had a great time cleaning up crumbs! Some people even gave us whole bites of people snacks!

Emmy just likes to be held and there were lots of people to hold her. She got all glassy-eyed!
I think we should celebrate more. It was fun. What did you do? Did you celebrate? I will celebrate next time I see you, my boy!
Love, from your best dog, Wall-E