My 3 Year Anniversary!

My 3 year anniversary!

Well, I made it to my 3 year anniversary in my not-so-new home! I can't believe I've been here that long already. It seems like just yesterday that I arrived here.

Because I was adopted, no one knows exactly when my REAL birthday is so my family is kind enough to celebrate my birthday on the day they brought me home (or should I say, the day I ALLOWED them to adopt me!). So, technically, not only is this my 3 year ANNIVERSARY - it is also my 4th birthday!!!

By the way, if you have recently adopted a new best friend here is a great way to get the word out to your family and friends:

The Rainbow Bridge

A poem for animal lovers

I get it now. I understand all of the sadness that has recently clouded my otherwise very happy family. Here is the poem that helped me to understand what has happened:

Just this side of heaven is a place called Rainbow Bridge.

When an animal dies that has been especially close to someone here, that pet goes to Rainbow Bridge.
There are meadows and hills for all of our special friends so they can run and play together.
There is plenty of food, water and sunshine, and our friends are warm and comfortable.

All the animals who had been ill and old are restored to health and vigor; those who were hurt or maimed are made whole and strong again, just as we remember them in our dreams of days and times gone by. The animals are happy and content, except for one small thing; they each miss someone very special to them, who had to be left behind.

They all run and play together, but the day comes when one suddenly stops and looks into the distance. His bright eyes are intent; His eager body quivers. Suddenly he begins to run from the group, flying over the green grass, his legs carrying him faster and faster.

You have been spotted, and when you and your special friend finally meet, you cling together in joyous reunion, never to be parted again. The happy kisses rain upon your face; your hands again caress the beloved head, and you look once more into the trusting eyes of your pet, so long gone from your life but never absent from your heart.

Then you cross Rainbow Bridge together....



Rest in peace, my little friend.

My One Year Anniversary!

March 28, 2007

I have been enjoying my time with my new family so much that I can't believe a year has gone by! We celebrated in style and since no one knows my actual birth DATE, we are celebrating my anniversary with my new family as my birthday!

Check me out:

Rest In Peace Dino

The humans were gone for quite awhile. When they returned without Dino they were obviously upset. The Mom cleaned up the kitchen, took Dino's bed and washed it. Then she packed it away. She even got rid of all of his blankets! Speedy was right ~ he must not be coming back home!

I was really nervous but Speedy stayed clear of the humans (I guess he thought he might be next!). He went into his kennel and only came out to eat and go outside. I wanted to do the same thing but curious girl that I am, I kept bothering the humans. I really wanted to know what happened but they weren't paying a lot of attention to me. I have never seen them so sad.

Nobody spoke a word ~ I wish someone would explain this all to me ...

Summer Fun

We have lots of fun here in my new home. I love to swim and play in the sprinkler and I have even gone on the trampoline a few times. I don't really like to bounce on it but from there I can get a good view of the entire yard!

One day I found this mound of dirt in the yard and I stuck my face into it because it looked like it was moving. It was really fun to play in but all that dirt stuck to my face. It kinda itched so I had to come into the house and rub it all over the sofa to get the itching to stop. When the Mom caught me doing that she made me stop and she didn't seem too mad until she realized that the dirt on my face was from an ant hill. So THAT'S why it itched... those little suckers were all over my beard and crawling in my hair... they were sooo annoying! The Mom's reaction was priceless! Well, at least for the moment because once the clean-up began it was not fun. The Mom cleaned the ants on the inside of the house but I was taken outside and one of the children scrubbed my face and rinsed me off with the hose. THAT was not fun... I didn't want to sit for that but I did (for the most part). Then they had to brush my face to make sure all the ants were out of my beard ~ THAT was not fun either. I guess I won't be sticking my face in any more ant hills in the future.

I also love to spend my days trolling the yard for smells. You'd be surprised how many different scents are out there on a daily basis but the best part is at the end of the day when the humans cook outside.

There is this great big black thing out there that they put their food on and close the cover. They leave it in there for awhile and after they are done and go in the house to eat, that's when the fun begins. I wait until that black thing has cooled off and then I get up on the top of it and lick off all the delicious grease.

Actually, once the humans caught me doing this . . . . . . I was never able to do it again but it was really delicious.

This is Dino in the dish washer. Isn't he silly?!?

My friends and I even do dishes!

Life With Speedy

Lively And Exhausting

Speedy, the 5 year old Shiba Inu is a unique personality. First, he wants to play all the time. Second, and most important, he does naughty things in the house and then he has to be corrected by the Mom. For example, if no one is paying attention to him he grabs a pillow from the other room, comes into the room where we are all watching TV and runs passed everyone with the pillow in his mouth! If he didn't want the humans to know he had the pillow then why come into the room where all of us are? Obviously he does this to get the attention of the humans! He opens cabinet doors and takes shoes and runs around the house with them! Although he doesn't really destroy things, he certainly knows how to get the attention of the humans!

The best part about my relation with Speedy is that he lets me use him as a pillow!

Life With Dino

Talk About A Challenge!

Dino, the 13 year old Wire Fox Terrier is sure a piece of work around here. He REALLY thinks he's the boss but from what I hear, it's a terrier thing (and I don't understand it because I really thought I was the boss!)

So now, as the months go by, he is slowing down quite a bit more than he was when I first arrived. The Mom says he has health problems but he looks fine to me other than he can't always see me. This can cause a problem because once he realizes I'm standing next to him he gets really mad at me and snarls. I told you he was crabby but everyone else in this family seem to really love him. He is wayyyy different with the humans than he is with those of us who wear the fur in the family.

Anyway, I'll leave him alone because he is old but it is kinda fun to lay next to him because he doesn't usually know I'm there... heh heh... I love to tease him!

How To Train A Human

Well, when I last wrote I told you about my adventure in training class! That was great fun but now that class has ended I wonder what is in store for me at my new home. By the way, I DID graduate my class but I think it was because they wanted my Mom to sign up for the next level of training. For some reason she just laughed at that. I guess that means she must have had fun in class too!

They Call Me "Flat" Bella

And I Don't Care!

You know how I told you about me wearing the jewelry and then how the Mom attached this long rope-thingy to it and I got to drag the humans anywhere I wanted them to go? Well, it turns out that's not how it's supposed to work.

I found out that the jewelry I'm wearing is really called a "collar" and that long rope-thingy is really called a "lead". Apparently, I wear the "collar and lead" for the purpose of the HUMANS dragging ME where they want ME to go! I sure thought it was the other way around ~ it seemed to work well that way!

So, I get to wear this collar and lead and the Mom takes me to "training" classes. I don't really like to be there though so when they want me to run in a circle (what's the point of THAT?) I just lay down. Yes, that's right ~ I lay down and don't move! Hence, they have taken to calling me "Flat Bella". As I've mentioned before, I am a thin girl for my height (40 pounds and 23" at the withers) so apparently when I lay flat I look like the character "Flat Stanley".

Picture this ~ 10 people with 10 different sized dogs on their leads; all running in a circle and suddenly with no warning, I just lay down. Most of the people are able to avoid my bumper affect but those that don't come crashing into us ~ it's the funniest thing you've ever seen. Training class can be fun. I might like coming here after all.

Life In My New Home

So here I am, the "new" gal in town. My Mom and this other guy, I'll call him "NOT the Mom", seem to really like me and so do the kids but I'm not so sure about the 2 boys in the fur coats. My first couple of weeks here have been a struggle with these guys. We haven't communicated very well and to be quite honest, I'm not sure they speak the same language as me. I guess I can tolerate the little guy but I can't stand how he always has to be around the Mom. I thought that was MY job! He is constantly at her feet or needs to be held by her ~ even when she's at the kitchen table he wants her to hold him ~ how ridiculous is that?!? He has to be around the humans ALL THE TIME ~ he even watches TV with them. He is one spoiled Wire Fox Terrier:


The other guy, the Shiba Inu, well he thinks he's a cat ~ pretty weird looking cat, I might add! He doesn't like me too much but I am slowly winning him over. He wants to play all the time ~ how immature is that for a 5 year old! So, I play with him and even let him win most of the time but the truth is, I can squash his little body with one swipe of my big paws. Don't worry, I haven't done that ~ at least not yet ~ but I certainly CAN do it if I wanted to!

Stay tuned... I heard they want to take me to dog training. HA! I'm a year old folks... don't you know you can't teach an old dog new tricks?!?