dog blog – Page 74 – Xena Schnauzer Warrior Princess with Lucy and Chia

Vacation fun

Published on October 15, 2009February 23, 2014 by Xena, Lucy and ChiaLeave a comment

October 15, 2009

Hello fellow woofers and upright friends. As usual, I was right. Mom and dad and I went on vacation. My step-sisters didn’t get to go (yahoo!). We went to a motel in Chicago where I had my own big bed to sleep in, and, as usual, got scrambled eggs for breakfast. I was a very good girl and didn’t bark or leave poopy presents. Then we went to a cabin on a lake in Wisconsin. I liked going down to the lake and hanging out with my Mom and we even went on an old pontoon boat. It wasn’t as nice as my boat, but I still liked the ride. Later in the week we moved to a place called a bed and breakfast. Some bed I had to sleep in a kennel. I did get a good breakfast of leftovers from the night before. Yummmm. I heard that my dad used to own the house a long time ago and that is the only reason why I was allowed to stay there. I don’t understand why they don’t allow dogs. Bud lives there, and he is a dog. At least I think Bud lives there and I think he is a dog. I never really saw him until the morning we were leaving, and, from across the yard he looked more like a hairy footstool. He’s something called a Puli. Ever heard of that, my fine furry friends? No, me either. Travelling was a lot of fun, especially all the new smells. There just isn’t enough time in the day to take them all in. It is still good to be home in my own kennel every night, drinking out of my own water bottle. “There’s no place like home.”

Lexi the travelling dog

Are we going away?

Published on September 5, 2009February 23, 2014 by Xena, Lucy and ChiaLeave a comment

September 5, 2009

Something is definitely going on around here. My travel bag is out and Mom is putting some of my food and favorite toys and a ball and my bone in it. I think we are going somewhere. I bet Mom is taking me to a hotel again, where I get to sleep in a big bed and eat scrambled eggs for breakfast. Then there are all the new, nifty smells. I hope I get to dance and eat lots of treats, too. Oh, wait, I didn’t see her pack any t-r-e-a-t-s. (He, he, she thinks I don’t know what that means!)

I will have to remind her about the treats, t-r-e-a-t-s.

Hmm, now it is starting to make sense that Mom and dad were counting on their fingers how many different states I have been in (7) and how many I have stayed overnight in (5) – which, of course, is different than how many I have slept in. :} I will let ya’ll know what happens.

Lexi the traveler

Running around plungers for treats

Published on September 4, 2009February 23, 2014 by Xena, Lucy and ChiaLeave a comment

September 4, 2009

Hi fellow canines and my people friends, too. I think Mom has officially lost her mind. She has me running around toilet plungers she has set up in the living room. Mom got this idea from my agility class. Yeah, there are a bunch of these plunger thingies set up in a row right down the middle of the living room. She puts a treat in her hand and weaves it through the plungers for me to follow, while she keeps saying, “weave, weave, weave.” I think she is trying to teach me something, but I am concentrating so hard on the hand that has the treat, that is all I can think about.

OK, you may say I am the one who has lost my mind for actually doing it, but what you don’t know is that I follow the treat. Yes, always follow the treat.

Lexi, the plunger dog (gahhhh!)

Therapy and Agility

Published on August 25, 2009February 23, 2014 by Xena, Lucy and ChiaLeave a comment

August 25, 2009

Hi friends, especially all my new friends at T.C. Thompson Children’s Hospital. I got to visit with some cool teens yesterday. You guys really know how to pet a dog and scratch the best places. I wanted to stay and visit longer, but Mom only had an hour, so we had to leave. Although I want to come back soon, I have to wait until September 24. I really like Fifi, too. She is the person in charge of the pet therapy department. I bet she got that job because of her name! Fifi gives me good treats. I saw where she got them, so I jumped on the chair next to the treat jar to try to save her the trouble of getting me more. I stretched as high as I could, but couldn’t quite reach it. She saw me trying and helped me out. She’s a good one, that gal. I like her, too.

I went to my agility class last night. I keep my eyes on where the treats are so I can skip the table and jumps and stuff and go right to the treat. Mom says I am not supposed to do that, so I try to do all the obstacles in between. Sometimes, though, I just can’t help myself!

Next Monday is my final class in this series, and my dad is going to come watch me run the course and get my certificate. I hope this time I get something better than a tasteless piece of paper! It’s pretty boring around here tonight, so I think I will go to bed and wait for my night-night treat.

Lexi the sleepy dog

Agility II

Published on August 11, 2009February 23, 2014 by Xena, Lucy and ChiaLeave a comment

August 11, 2009

I just finished my third Agility II class. I ran faster than anyone and did everything right. I LOVE my agility class. I love jumping and running through tunnels and up and down boards. I especially love all the treats. Wow, it is sooooo much fun. People are starting to watch me, and I love that too. Mom says I am her superstar.

Mom took off my leash and said, “Are you ready?” In answer, I shot forward, leaped over the hurdle and on to the next obstacle, with Mom trying to catch up. (he, he, he). In the distance, we could hear the trainer saying, “I guess she was ready!”

Lexi the agility dog

Agility II

Published on August 11, 2009February 23, 2014 by Xena, Lucy and ChiaLeave a comment

August 11, 2009

Lexi the agility dog

Graduated!

Published on July 14, 2009February 23, 2014 by Xena, Lucy and ChiaLeave a comment

July 14, 2009

I passed my agility test yesterday and got a paper certificate. It wasn’t a big deal like my Annie Award. I love my Annie Award. Mom seemed really happy, though, and gave me and Lily and Ivy doggie ice cream when we got home. Now she says we are going for the advanced class. I want to go dance, and she says we can do that too.

I love being busy and doing stuff with my Mom. 🙂

Lexi, the Graduate

Dog Dancing?

Published on July 13, 2009February 23, 2014 by Xena, Lucy and ChiaLeave a comment

July 13, 2009

You may have heard that tonight is my last agility class. Which, of course, means my Mom had to find something else for us to do. She went to a doggie free-style dance competition and is telling me we are going to start dancing together. I used to go to help Mom and Dad – his name was Jeff then – teach ballroom dance, and I am pretty good at rumba and Viennese waltz. I hope I can dance one of those. In any case, Mom said I will dance the socks off all those other dogs. I know she is right. Because I am…

Lexi, the dancing dog

Agility Classes

Published on July 11, 2009February 23, 2014 by Xena, Lucy and ChiaLeave a comment

July 11, 2009

Hi friends. Last time we met, I was wondering about this agility class my Mom signed me up for. Now I am going to my last class (class #6) this Monday. It has been a blast! I get more treats there than anywhere. It’s been wonderful! I only have to do is stuff that is fun to get a treat. I run through tunnels, sit, stay, walk, jump over sticks, run up and down boards, and always, at the end, there is a treat. Sometimes I get treats just because people like me. Treats, treats, treats!

Mom says I am precocious. Dad says I am an over-achiever.

I knew I was supposed to weave through those sticks and did it. Why did they want me to just run down the middle the first time? That was stupid. Mom gave me a treat anyhow, cause she says I still did it right, the way it is supposed to be done, even if it wasn’t what they wanted.

Then there is the thing of following Mom’s hand around her in circles. She had a treat in each hand. She told me to walk, so I stood up on my hind legs and walked, just like she had taught me to do at home. And I waved my front paws while I walked, because it helps me keep my balance and everyone thinks it is cute. Cute wins treats. That also puts me closer to the treats. I made her happy. I know I did because she laughed and gave me treats.

I expect to pass my test on Monday and get lots more treats. I wonder what Mom will have for me to do next to get lots of treats…

Lexi, The Agility Dog

P.S. I see my schnauzer friend, Sophie, at class too.

Agility Training

Published on May 30, 2009February 23, 2014 by Xena, Lucy and ChiaLeave a comment

May 30, 2009

Mom came home last night stinking like other dogs. She was at a place where they train dogs. She said she was just looking around, but I could smell the other dogs on her and I don’t like that.

Then she told me she will start taking me there in about a week. I am going to learn something called agility. We are going to run and turn and jump and laugh and have fun. And get treats. Wow, I can hardly wait. I will let you know if it is a good thing.

Lexi, the Agility To Be Dog

Therapy for kids

Published on May 29, 2009February 23, 2014 by Xena, Lucy and ChiaLeave a comment

May 29, 2009

Mom took me to a hospital for really sick kids yesterday. They didn’t look all that sick, not puking or coughing or anything. But they were in bed with their jammies on and needles with tubes stuck in their arms and all that. So I will just believe Mom when she said they needed a lot of Lexi love. Their Moms were all with them, and they all smiled and seemed really happy to see me too. I went from room to room and jumped up on the bed with the little person (sometimes Mom had to lift me up cause the beds were really high). They went from looking sad to happy when they saw me, and most of them pet me a lot. One even started to cry when I left, so I went back in to see him. Gee, he wasn’t much bigger than me.

I liked it lots and want to go back soon, but Mom said I can only go once a month – that’s the rule because there are so many other dogs that want to come get pet by the kids. I wish some of them would find somewhere else to go so I could go more. Oh, and Mom got a calling card made with my beautiful picture and information about me on it. She gave one to each of the kids, and they smiled when they looked at it. It aid I love treats, so maybe next time….

Lexi, the Therapy for Kids Dog

My step-sisters are on Dogster

Published on April 29, 2009August 9, 2018 by Xena, Lucy and ChiaLeave a comment

April 29, 2009

Oh great. (You know I am being sarcastic, here.) Why can’t I have anything all my own anymore? Lily and Ivy come over and I have to share my toys and share my Mom and share my step-dad and share my house, and share my yard, and share my screen house and share, well, you get the picture. Now I have to share Dogster with them. Oh great (that sarcastic thing again).

Let me tell you, it’s not easy having them here. Ivy attacked me (can you believe Mom said it was my own fault!). I didn’t get hurt, but I screamed a lot. Now I am much more respectful of Ivy. I sorta, kinda, admire her, too. I am thinking about trying to be more like her. She is the boss.

Then there’s Lily. She just wants to play with me all the time. That gets on my nerves. I try to keep her in her place, but sometimes she doesn’t put up with that. Hmmm. Just so she doesn’t go in my kennel or eat my cheese. My kennel, my cheese. Mine, I tell you!

At least this week they are not here and I have everyone and everything all to myself, just the way I like it.

Lexi, the Encroached Upon

Still Therapizing

Published on April 14, 2009August 9, 2018 by Xena, Lucy and ChiaLeave a comment

April 14, 2009

Hi ya’ll. I have gone and done therapy twice now at this Siskin Rehab Hospital place. You want to hear something funny? When Mom tells people what I do, sometimes they ask if I am getting therapy. And this is even after she has told them where I am doing it, at a people hospital. So she said next time, she will say, you know dogs can have health insurance now, so the hospitals have to treat them. It’s part of Obama’s stimulus plan. Then she’ll sit back and wait for them to get it. I they really thought I was going to Siskin to get therapy in the first place, I think Mommy is going to be sitting there waiting a long time.

I think she needs to say I am a therapy dog. That would clear it up right away. She thinks the other way will be more fun. Anyhow, I didn’t mean to go down a bunny trail. Although usually I do mean to, ’cause I can smell them. Since both sessions were really uneventful, Mom says I should tell ya’ll about the second session I did a year or so ago. It was at Siskin, too. There was this young fellow who couldn’t seem to move real well. I sat on a stool next to him and made him pet me. You know what I mean – I kept scooting my nose under his hand so he didn’t have much choice. Every time he stopped, I scooted my nose again. I did that for about 15 minutes, and would have gone a lot longer, but Mom said that was enough. As we started walking away, I heard the guy’s therapist say, that was really good – you lifted your hand! Wow, he must have really like me!! Keep barking! Lexi the Therapy Dog

“Good work if you can get it”

Published on March 20, 2009August 9, 2018 by Xena, Lucy and ChiaLeave a comment

March 20, 2009

I have started my work again as a therapy dog. Mom says I should tell about how my first session went almost two years ago. So here goes:

A big man who worked at Siskin asked if he could pet me. He pet me a lot, which I thought was the patients’ jobs, but he seemed to need that. When we walked away, I heard the boss tell Mom that this therapist had never before touched a dog there. Then another therapist, a woman, came up to us and asked Mom if she could take me over to her patient. As I was walking away with her, I could hear the boss tell Mom that this therapist avoided the dogs and had never done this before. On our way out, after I was finished spreading the love, the big man stopped us again and asked if he could hold me. He said there was something really special about me. Duh…we all know that!

Anyhow, I really liked doing this, but didn’t get to go back for several months. I will tell you about my second trip there tomorrow. Gotta go help Mom fix some chicken now.

Be good, and if you can’t be good, don’t get caught!

Lexi the Therapy Dog

Mommy got me a new daddy!

Published on October 16, 2008August 9, 2018 by Xena, Lucy and ChiaLeave a comment

**(L-R) Lily, Ivy, my new Dad, Mom, me**

October 16, 2008

Mommy and Jeff got married. They talked about it a lot first and said that my Grandmas loved Jeff and wouldn’t want them to wait. They used my screen house in the back yard and fixed it up all pretty. Mom strung lights and put out great big pots of flowers called mums – how funny to think flowers could be someone’s mum! Mom put Grandma’s picture on a table to make it seem like she was close by. My bestest friend Jennefer came and helped Mom get dressed, like she isn’t a big person and can dress herself! Everything is funny today. My bestest friend Maria came with her husband who is very nice too, and my people brother Andrew came, and the preacher and his wife came. My new step-sisters Lily and Ivy were there too. Lily is orange and hairy and big – at least she looks pretty big to me. She is always trying to get everyone to like her and wants us all to play with her. It is very annoying. Ivy is almost as big. She has long black hair and some white, just like me. I can tell she is in charge because sometimes she tells Lily to stop and Lily listens to her. I will have to watch her to see how she stays in charge all the time. Of course, I will also have to let her know this is my house and she will have to listen to me. I sure hope she listens when I bark and growl and fuss at her. She is kind of big, after all. But today I will just be nice because it is a special and fun and funny day.

After Mom and Jeff promised to stay together forever – which made me really happy – they had champagne and we all had cake. Jennefer made the cake. It had lots and lots of icing. Yummy!! I could have eaten it all, but Mom and Jeff said they would freeze it until this time next year. I really don’t understand why they would freeze perfectly good cake that could be eaten now. Eat it now!

Lexi, the schnauzer with a Daddy

My Grandma died

Published on September 16, 2008August 9, 2018 by Xena, Lucy and ChiaLeave a comment

Mommy said my Grandma died. I am not sure what that means, except it is very sad. Mom has been happy all day because it is her birthday. Then, late at night, I heard the phone ring from my kennel. Then I heard Mommy crying. She said we can’t go see Grandma at the nursing home anymore. That makes me very sad too. I am always so happy to go visit with her. It always made her very happy too. I won’t even stop to do pet therapy stuff on my way to her room; I am always so excited to know I am going to see her again. I really don’t understand why we can’t go any more…I love my Grandma. I hate this dying stuff. It makes everybody unhappy.

Sadly,

Lexi

Christmas 2008

Published on January 4, 2008August 9, 2018 by Xena, Lucy and ChiaLeave a comment

Me and Father Christmas - I later chewed u him up — **Me and Father Christmas – I later chewed**
**him up**

January 4, 2008

Wow, this Christmas thing is really nice. It sneaks up on me every year, but this year I knew there was something in one of the pretty bags just for me – I could smell it and Mommy kept telling me to leave it alone. Sure enough, it was a new chew bone filled with rawhide! And I got a new Quack-quack. The quacker broke in my old one, but this one works really good. I was so excited when I got it I wiggled all over.

Christmas Eve I went to the nursing home to see my Grandma. Grandma fell again in her apartment and broke her hip. She had an operation to make it better and went to something called physical therapy in the hospital. That was supposed to help her be able to go back to her new apartment where she has lots of people around and help if she needs it. But every day when she went back to therapy she couldn’t remember what she had learned the day before. It was like starting all over again. That doesn’t make any sense to me. How can you forget what you just learned the day before? I always remember what Mommy teaches me and we have a grand time dancing new steps together or doing new tricks or, well, you see what I am saying. Mom says it is because my Grandma is 89 years old – wow, that is something like 623 in dog years. People used to live that long – 623 years – in the bible times but not anymore. Anyhow, the hospital finally sent Grandma to a nursing home to keep trying to learn to walk again, and that’s why we are here visiting her. Mommy put up a little Christmas tree in Grandma’s room and the lights are very pretty. It reminds me of the Grand Illumination and makes me smile my little schnauzer smile.

We had pizza. It was good. I love my Grandma.

My people brothers stayed all night on Christmas Eve and I got to jump on Adam Christmas morning to wake him up. He was sleeping on the couch and didn’t want to get up. So I wiggled and stood on him and dug in next to him until he finally succumbed to my charms. In the middle of it all I had to stop to run in and tell my other big brother Andrew that I was busy with Adam and I would be back to get him up, too. He didn’t wait for me, though.

The day after Christmas I went to Siskin Hospital to work. They call me a pet therapy dog. It’s really lots of fun. I sit next to people and let them pet me. These are people who come and learn to do things like walk again, just like my Grandma. I like some people there more than others, and when I find them I won’t let them stop petting me. They smile and I wag a lot. Mom says it’s good work if you can get it.

Lexi, the Christmas Schnauzer

Grand Illumination

Published on December 27, 2007February 23, 2014 by Xena, Lucy and ChiaLeave a comment

December 27, 2007

Hey ya’ll, I got to be on-stage again. I am such an on-stage type of Schnauzer! I led the cast of performers onto the stage at the riverfront for Chattanooga’s Grand Illumination performances. Then I got to walk out on stage again with my Mom and our bestest friend Jeff, and Santa held and petted me while they danced. When the show was over, the Christmas lights were turned on all over the city.

While I was on Santa’s lap, I asked for good chew bones. I think I will get them, because I have been a very good dog this year.

Merry Christmas to everyone.

Lexi, Santa’s lap dog

I WON, I WON, I WON!

Published on August 25, 2007August 9, 2018 by Xena, Lucy and ChiaLeave a comment

August 25, 2007

I won a Miss Annie Award at the Chattanooga Theatre Centre for my role as Toto in The Wizard of Oz! I am so excited! I licked the award a lot last night and watched it closely when Mom let someone else hold it. I didn’t take my eyes off it all night at the theater. I won, I won, I won! Mommy put it on a shelf on the wall with my headshot as Toto and the program for the play. I won! Yeah! I ran up on stage when Mom told me and everyone clapped for me just like when I was in the play. It says right on it that I am the director’s choice. He loves me. Everyone loves me. I love being on the stage. Since I can’t really hold the award with my paws, Mom came up on stage too and accepted the award for me. I leaned into the microphone to say something and everyone kind of giggled, and then I changed my mind and let Mom talk. She said I was so surprised that I didn’t have a speech prepared. She sure was right! Can you imagine a schnauzer that is speechless?

I got to help Dorothy present an award to someone else, too. I ran up on stage on my cue, just like always, and everyone said, “Ahhhhw” and laughed like when I played Toto. Dorothy held me for a while, and then I just stood there with her and my director Geoffrey and followed her off the stage as usual. Did I say I love the stage? I love Dorothy too. I love treats, too, and I got a lot of them last night – cheese, crackers, cake – all yum!

Lexi-Toto, the Winner

My Screen House

Published on June 27, 2007August 9, 2018 by Xena, Lucy and ChiaLeave a comment

June 22, 2007

Mom finally put my screen house up in my back yard. She thought it was her screen house. Isn’t she silly? I can scoot right under the screen to get in it. I like to sit in there where it is shady and feel the breeze. I also wait for a bird to get in. I remember last summer when birds would somehow get inside, and I would have to take charge in chasing them out. Now I am going to wait for them. Won’t they be surprised!

Woof!

Lexi the screen house dog