Dakota's New Toy

Dakota here. Mom and dad did something weird today. It's Sunday, which usually goes something like this:

1) breakfast

2) trip to the dog park (with a stop at the coffee shop first)

3) nap

4) lunch

5) nap

6) D&G playfest (e.g. destroy something in the garden or visit doggie friends)

7) nap

8) walk or opportunity for me to do some sled dog training stuff

9) nap

10) dinner

11) nap

12) bed

But today we did something different. As soon as mom and dad got up, they hurried about like they were getting ready for the dog park, but instead of putting us in the car, they put us in our dog run! We only do that on Monday, Wednesday and Friday mornings! Of course they left us with a yummy breakfast, soft bedding and all the toys that yuppy puppies need. They were gone for several hours on a long drive. But when they got home, they presented me with a very special toy--a scooter! They took me out immediately to try it out with dad.

Here's dad and me after our ride. I look pretty dumb. I can't remember what dad was doing to me, but it made me poke my tongue out.

Here I am looking more respectable drinking my water. My new scooter is second-hand, and dad says it used to be owned by a pack of dalmatians. They're too busy milking cows (black and white spotted ones, I bet, hee hee) to play with their scooter any more, so it's mine now. It needs to be re-painted, so I have to decide which colour goes best with my lovely coat!

Stuff I Like to Chew

Georgia here. I'm a puppy, so I'm supposed to chew stuff. So I do. Lots of it. Stuff I'm supposed to chew, and maybe a few things I'm not supposed to.

Mom and dad told me that when Dakota was a puppy, she ate part of a Coke can. Mom had the honour of checking D's poos until she was satisfied that it had all passed through. This was the biggest bit. Luckily D wasn't hurt. So I'm not allowed to play with cans. But there's plenty of other stuff to chew.

Of course I like chewing puppy treats.

This is my froggie. I love him, but that didn't stop me from chewing off his head and arms.

I'm allowed to chew carrots from the garden, but only when mom gives them to me (I'm not allowed to help myself). They give me funny orange poos.

I have assorted rope toys that I'm allowed to chew, but they're boring. That's why they're still in good condition.

I still love chewing on beloved chicken. She's not in such good condition.

I chewed her feet off. Dakota helped.

Here I am chewing grass in the garden. Those are D's toes. She's chewing too. She often shows me what to chew.

Here is some trellis that I have been chewing on. Dakota didn't show me this--I thought of it all by myself. It's at nose level, so it made sense. Aren't I a clever girl?

Here's a blanket that mom made that I chewed. Sorry, Mom.

Newspapers are fun to chew.

Egg cartons are fun too, but they don't last very long.

Here's a knife I stole from the kitchen. Luckily I decided to chew on the handle rather than the blade. I'm okay.

In fact, I have a whole box full of toys that I can chew on any time I want.

But my favourite chew toy doesn't fit in the box...

Sunday - Fun Day?

We're in trouble.

We haven't been the best little husk-a-roos today. We started out good and didn't wake mom up until 8. Then it was all engines go!

We played like huskies all morning, zooming around all over the furniture and in and out of the house. Mom was trying to clean, but we weren't helping.

Oscar was hiding out a pile of clean laundry and newspapers while we ran amok.

Dakota decided she wanted to have a play in the brand new bathtub while mom was busy cleaning the living room.

She was good and wiped her feet on the clean bath mat when she got out.

Then we got into a little "argument" in the hallway and knocked mom's lamp off the table. She spent about 9 months making the lampshade in a class. She was NOT amused.

She decided we needed to go to the dog park and run off our excess energy. Duh--that's what we had been trying to tell her all morning! Georgia got to play with a schnauzer puppy named Wilson and Dakota got to play with a boxer named Max.

All in all, a successful outing! Mom can finish cleaning the house now. Oh joy.

Busted!

Despite all the growling, barking, gnashing of teeth and flying fur, we do sort of like each other...

Sleddoggery Weekend

Dakota here, had a real busy week last one, we had visitors all week trying to get the new bathroom finished. So when Saturday come around was just hoping for a nice quiet weekend. Of course mom and dad had different ideas, Saturday was our local sled dog club open day, then Sunday morning was our first race of the season something the humans called the Spectacle.

Saturday was actually a great day, there were heaps of other doggies, and heaps of new people to meet, and of course some old freinds were reacquainted. Here is a picture of some of the people etc there, it might be hard to see but the samoyed on the left is Lotus, we first met her at puppy pre school.

We also did some fun stuff, like a bit of bike joring. I even got to try running with the 'bad cousins' it was not that successful though because Wolf is such a boof head. Here is a picture of Jo and Daniel trying to get us all sorted, Dad is on the bike, boy is he stupid trying this. Although to be fair today was not the day I planned to crash him, that is tomorrow, but more on that later.

Doesn't dad's bike look shiney, well actually it is my bike (well he keeps calling it the dog bike).

Georgia here now ... geez my big sis is boring, always talking about running, biking, scootering. Of course I am just jealous that I cannot do that stuff yet, aparantly I have to wait until I get bigger. But of course there was plenty for me to do, look cute, meet new fans, and probably the most exciting, catching up with my actual brother (Ben) and my real dog mum (Aurora).

Mum left, brother right

We were a bit shy at first, but then we got back to being our usual puppy selves.

"See I told you I am different down there"

Me and Dak were so exhausted when we got home, this is all we could do, note the new toy, still in one piece.

Right back to Dak, she did the rest ...

DAY 2

We had to get up before dark, it was not fun luckily dad left the heatpump on the night before so my feet were not cold.

So off in the car to Laings Rd, I get stuck in the jail in the back with Georgia, which is not too bad but she is getting bigger, and I hate sharing space.

Apparently when we get there I learn we are doing a scooter race, 3km along a gravel road, small ups and downs, should be a piece of cake (although dad will surely miss his comfy seat on his bike). When dad is listening to the race briefing, I start feeling the need to go to the toilet, I will not say anything though, I am sure I can hold on.

Right. Harness on, lead on, scooter connected, dad has his funny vest on, helmet--we are set. We are number 14 so not starting until a bit later, I reckon I have two choices, lay here on my back while strangers rub my belly (and wonder what all the other dogs are jumping and barking about), or have a poo. Mmm belly rub does feel good so relax a little bit longer.

Right number 13 is off, my turn now. Someone asks dad does he need a handler (well maybe someone to get me on my feet), he accepts and this person walks me to the start line. On the countdown we are off, not too fast though, as we do have a few hills to go up. Here is a picture just before we left

The down hill parts were next, this is where things started to go weird, you know that feeling of needing to go to the bathroom, well it is starting to get a bit more intense. Oh no, up ahead is a hill, and with fatty on the back I will never get up there, luckily my slowing down has prompted dad to start running, he is puffing harder than Darth Vader though, I hope he makes it.

Luckily this uphill was short and we are soon going downhill again, this time though the rear end pressure gets too great, and I have to stop and poop. Luckily I can stop really quickly while running down hill, and the relief is great, but hold on what is that horrible noise behind me ... ooopps dad is on the ground (hee hee--but not in my poop). He can stop pretty quick too, he does it by doing this trick where he goes over the handlebar and uses his knees to brake on the gravel, great thinking.

Well after about a minute, we get untangled and off again, this time uphill. You know I think all that noise behind me distracted me, and I forgot to finish my business, so need to stop again, this time dad is ready though and uses the brakes properly. The rest of the race pretty uneventful, of course we got last in our class, but I run more like a malamute than a husky.

I wonder what next weekend will bring, hopefully dad will have finished limping around so we can go for a bikejore.

Home Improvements

With winter coming, and the TWO of us expecting to come in and out of the house like furry boomerangs, leaving the back door open was no longer an option.

Georgia thought the existing cat flap was GREAT and made good use of it.

Dakota, however, was not impressed.

So mom and dad got us a DOGGIE FLAP. Some friends of ours have one, so of course we wanted one too.

Dakota gives the new flap "four paws up"! She can even get her soccer ball through it.

Whose Dinner is it?

Humans are idiots, imagine leaving yummy bread lying on the couch for more than 30 seconds, in dog time, that surely means it is open slander.

Well that is what Dakota told me (Georgia) and since she is the big wordly dog why would I not beleive her ...



But dad had other ideas (well his big fat gut had other ideas) ... here he is trying to get it back from me, guess who won.

Well actually he won, but I did get half of it down and for some reason he did not eat the rest of it. So that is actually a victory as it means he might be lighter for my big sister Dak to pull on his bike. Now I know what you are thinking, he sort of looks like he is feeding me, but no, I do have his fingers in my mouth, grose.

When the dust had settled, I made sure my parents knew it was Dakota's fault, and she got away with it, I think it is her dopey look ... must learn that as my next trick, far more useful than high five.

But Today We're Huskies!

Today We're Retrievers!