New Frontier

Emily, with a lot of coaching, climbed up the stairs today! Twice!

As her Daddy says, uh, don't know if this is a good thing.

(also went on her first walk of the day before noon, and is now schmacking on her chicken snack)

Walk of Poo

Heeding our vet's go-ahead, H. took Emily out to the dog walk in front of our house. Fun for the puppy, running around sniffing at everything, grass! trees! dirt! mud puddles! cigarette butts! trash!

For H. it was crazy land. Leash tangled Emily's feet, H.'s feet, huMONgus dog poo piles everywhere. H. was so worried getting Emily away from (what looked like) pony-shit , that she stepped in a mushy pile herself.

Emily got a half-bath in the kitchen sink, paw +belly +tail + chin wash when she got home, played dash-around for 2 minutes to dry off, then fell asleep.

[호강의 요강에 빠진 강아지]

-- does anyone else use this phrase? It might just be an H. family thing. Fell in the chamber-pot of luxury.

[Hey Daddy, guess where I've been?]

--
Note: Dear dog owners, please pick up after your pet. It's not hard.

Vet Visit: Sex Change Operation

WILL NOT BE NECESSARY!

[Rrrufff! I'm a Girl!]

To celebrate the end of Em's gender confusion, Mommy decked her out in her blue shirt. tee hee.

(In Holland, like most western countries, blue means boy and pink means girls. You get little dry biscuits with sprinkles in the respective colors when a baby's born. Beschuit met Muisjes)

Anyway, if your little girl puppy has a little hairy nub that looks like a penis between her hind legs, she's still not a boy. tee hee. (unless is farther up her stomach)

Emily also got her 3rd vac, deworming, general check, a green light to go walking in public areas, and her microchip injection. That hurt a bit. But now any vet or shelter in Western Europe can hold a scanner ring over her neck, and know who she is and where she lives.

(M. wonders when governments will start chipping citizens. H. says offer tax payback and drinkies+fuel rations.)

On that cheery note, H. leaves you with Em's first guard puppy duty against the ebil Monthly Window Washing Guy:

[Who's that guy in our yard? Is he stealing our windows?]

Young Adult Class

[Gotcha, ya little varmint!]

Emily jumped into Young Adult Class (12 total, every Saturday), and was a star. Two middle sized dogs, one German Shepherd, two chihuahuas. One of the runts tried to bite her, but she was okay. She's usually less shy when she's seen something twice, better three times. Emily was perfect with "Sit," "Watch," "Come," and walking on the leash. We'll practice "Down" this week.

The chihuahua's mommy was so frustrated her dog wouldn't do anything, but Emzee only makes things look easy. Actually, we'd been working on "Sit" and "Come" and "paying attention" since she was 8 weeks old. So, of course she could do them perfectly.

Class environment is pretty tough for puppies to pick up new commands. It's more for socialization and for the owners to learn things, and practice later at home.

Leerburg says a dog has to repeat a command at least 30 times before he learns it (a human, about 7 times). Funny how a lot of people assume being smart means picking up something instantly, instead of work!work!work!

[Fresh out of the bath, and napping inside Daddy's jacket]

WANTED

Have You Seen This Puppy?

Known as Emzee da Mudd,

Wanted for rampant Digging, and pulling out Kanna bulbs. Her specialty is faking a Potty Call to go mess up in the garden. Distinctive features: scruffy face, grubby paws and dirt all over.

Wanted: Alive and Squirming!

[Din' do it, besides I forgots/머리 코 박고 자]

--
Saturday: we have puppy class at 11. (actually, she was put in the "young adult" class, with some smaller dogs). Cross your fingers.

Baby's first Sweater

Emily's Uncle E. objects to dog clothes. Luckily, Mommy is prepared. Ta Da! More Dog Clothes!

[Emily says, Wotcha?]

[Does this sweater make my head look too big?]

I'll have you know, M.'s the one who bought her both the coat and the blue sweater. Take it up with him. On second thought, talk to the hand. tee hee.

Reading: Last year, I gobbled up Jonathan Carroll's Marriage of Sticks (2000) in a couple of days. Land of Laughs (2001) I read off and on for the last 4 months. Mostly because of Emily and writing reshuffling life order, not because it's not absolutely brilliant.

Write and/or Die & Books coming to Life are the motifs, but so horrific and zany, with yummy smart writing. If you've ever had an off-the-wall idea, and thought, "nah~, but it would make a great story," Jonathan Carroll's already done it.

(Doesn't mean you can't write your own story though. Everyone has ideas. Writing it out's a different story.)