Tag: dog

Agility II

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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

Graduated!

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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?

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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

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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

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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

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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

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Ivy, a.k.a Iva, Iva-doodle
Ivy, a.k.a Iva, Iva-doodle

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

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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”

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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!

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

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I love my grandma.
I love my grandma.

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

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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

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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!

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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

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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

Boating time

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Me on my boat in the Tennessee River
Me on my boat in the Tennessee River

June 2, 2007

My pontoon boat is in the water! I have had so much fun on it this summer. I mostly lie around and sun my beautiful body. Sometimes I lay in the shade and eat snacks. Sometimes I swim to a nearby island and smell all the luscious smells. Last Sunday I got a bit hot so I went to the edge of my pontoon boat to let Mom know I wanted to cool off in the water. What did she do? She reached for my life jacket. I hate that thing. It ranks right up there with clothes. She could tell I didn’t want to wear it, so she said she would make a deal with me. I wouldn’t have to wear it if I stayed close to the boat. I thought, ok, no problem. Mom lowered me into the water (I still don’t like to jump in) and I swam around the boat twice before asking her to help me back in. Mom says I am the smartest schnauzer girl ever.

I have a good life.

Lexi the boat dog

Visiting

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April 16, 2007
I had a big day on Saturday. Sophie, my new schnauzer friend from Dunlap came over with her Mom, and my Mom did her first groom. She is almost 7 months old and she has managed to not get groomed all this time. I will have to ask her secret. Her mom watched, so now that her Mom knows how to do it, I think Sophie will be getting groomed more often. Then Mom groomed me. Wasn’t I surprised! Sophie’s Mom said I was soooo good.

After that, Mom took me to my Grandma’s and let me stay with her for a few hours. Grandma was very happy that I was there, but I was bored. It was so hot in Grandma’s apartment that I just slept the whole time.

I have put on two pounds from all the treats when I was Toto. Now, I know that doesn’t sound like a lot, but it is over 10% of my body weight. Mom said that would be like her putting on almost 14 pounds. We have to exercise more, which means going to the park more. Yeah! We went to the park only once last week, and then the weather got cold again. I hope it warms up soon so Mom takes me to the park to run, run, run.

Woof!! Be good!
Lexi

Coyotes

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March 22, 2007
There are coyotes in my city. They are kind of like dogs only wild and mean and kill little dogs and little kids. Mom read about it in the paper. It said some coyotes killed a schnauzer in her own front yard. One of Mom’s friends killed a coyote with his car late one night a couple of months ago. He had to get his car fixed, too. Even though I have a fenced yard, Mom is now afraid to leave me out alone at night. She stands at the door and watches. She says daytime is ok, because the coyotes only come out at night. I wonder what they do all day? I hope there aren’t any near our house. I hope one gets in the other fence with Stitch, my neighbor Doberman. He will rip it apart. Maybe then the other coyotes will be afraid to go in the fences in my neighborhood. I am going to stay good friends with Stitch. He likes me.
Everyone be happy and stay away from the coyotes and play with kids and visit old people. (Mom says I am bossy.)

Woof, woof!
Lexi

My first trip to a nursing home

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March 20, 2007
It’s been a while since Mom has helped me write in my diary. She started working at a place where she is doing accounting. I keep hearing her say she hates it. I don’t like when Mommy isn’t happy. She doesn’t play with me enough. I think if she played with me more she would feel better. I think she should just stay home and take me to the park. The weather is nice and I could run, run, run. Then we would both feel better.

Mom came home early on Friday and took me to a nursing home. At first I thought I was going to see my Grandma who lives near there, but I got to see lots and lots of other people who are old like my Grandma. Their rooms all open out to hallways, too, so they wouldn’t be able to let me stay all day either. They all talked to me nice and petted me. Mom told everyone about me being Toto in the Wizard of Oz. The bling on my collar was the button with me and Dorothy on it. I think they liked that. I felt very proud. There were a lot of cookie crumbs and I cleaned them up for everyone. I am a good helper. Mom says I am a therapy dog now. I hope I don’t have to learn a new name again, like I did for the play. I got really thirsty and whined and Mom said we could go. She promised to bring me water the next time we visit. It is really hot in there, and smells funny too, like stuff I am not allowed to do in the house.

Saturday I get to see my good friends Piper and Marley. We are all going to get tested to be therapy dogs for hospitals that take care of children. I like all the children petting me. I am sooooo sure I will pass whatever the test is. I hear that Marley is a little worried about this because she never liked kids. I think I will talk to her about it. After all, I never liked kids either until the Wizard of Oz. I will let her know they are really ok. And they usually drop food, so it’s good to hang around them.

Lexi, the nursing home dog

Super Bowl Sunday

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February 8, 2007
I was right! Super Bowl Sunday was so much fun. My friends Marley and her Mom Jennefer went to Cleveland with me and my Mom to visit my people brother Adam. Adam loves me a lot and I always sit on his lap in the car. We got to go to the pet store while we were there. All Marley wanted to do was ride on her Mom’s hip. Not me, I smelled everything in the store! During the times we had to wait in the car we planned how much fun we were going to have when we got back to my house.

Back at my house Marley’s brother Piper and their dad joined us for the big game. Marley played with me a lot, but all Piper wanted to do was hug his Mom and get on my Mom’s lap. He wasn’t in on the planning earlier, so he must not have known it was play time.

Just like I thought, there was yummy food. I ate lots of chips and dip and Jennefer brought me wonderful doggie cookies. The first one got stuck on the roof of my mouth and I couldn’t get it loose. Everyone was laughing and Mom had to pull it off. That felt very strange. I was more careful after that to bite the next one into pieces. All us schnauzers fell asleep before the game was over and I was really ready to go straight to bed when everyone left.