Happy Gotcha Day Dahlia!

My gosh, where has the time gone? 4 years ago this evening, David and I drove out to exit 28 on the Thruway and met up with Trish, the woman who had Dahlia. She came to us a pretty shut down, pretty chill dog and has gained so much in confidence in joy in the past 4 years. I've REALLY begun to see a change in just the past year and it's wonderful to be with her. We'll be celebrating by going to an agility trial and having a ton of fun this weekend.

And now for what Dahlia learned this year...

What I learned this year
by Dahlia F. Beast

1. That I can reach for the sky...or hot dogs...if I just try hard enough.



2. That a good roll in the grass after visiting the groomers helps to get rid of that nasty "perfume smell."



3. That kitty friends are awesome friends.



4. That tug is more fun with friends!



5. That Mommy totally puts up with my chair stealing ways, even if I spit my tongue out at her.



6. That I can do awesome dead kangaroo impressions.



7. That it's ok if Mommy dresses me in ridiculous things, as long as there are hot dogs involved.



8. That EVERYTHING is a pause table.



9. That I'm a superstar agility champion. Ok...maybe not...but it's nice having one ribbon!



10. That agility is really really fun.



11. That I am just too cute for words.



12. That they don't call me "Ferocious D" for nothin'!



13. That while I cannot catch treats, it sure is fun to try.



14. That my future is so bright, I have to wear shades.



15. That hamburgers off the grill are (almost) worth waiting for.



16. That being kicked off Mommy's chair is like the WORST THING EVAR.



17. That running makes me CRAZY.



18. That I really CAN fly...as long as I have my jetpack on.

Happy Gotcha Day Dahlia!

My gosh, where has the time gone? Three years ago today we woke up in the morning knowing that our lives would change that day. Later in the afternoon, we picked up a Cocker Spaniel named Coeby and transported him an hour and a half away from here, where we met up with the rescue that had Dahlia (and who were taking Coeby in). I still remember walking Coeby around waiting for Trish to show up with Dahlia, turning and seeing this woman walk by with this gorgeous black dog with this huge tail. And then suddenly it dawned on me. That was our gorgeous black dog with the huge tail. I really could not have imagined then how much this dog would come to mean to us. She's just the best and the past three years have been awesome.


What I have learned this year
by Dahlia F. Beast

1. To stop and sniff the flowers instead of peeing on them.



2. That no matter how wet you get, you must always always keep the tail dry.



3. That lily pads are almost worth swimming for.

(Please note that my tail is still not wet)


4. That Mommy comes up with the best photo shoots.



5. That stealing Mommy's chair is great fun.



6. That being kicked out of Mommy's chair is no fun!




7. That even though they protect my feet in the winter, I will get the utmost sympathy if I give the woe face and refuse to move off the couch when Mommy puts the booties on me.



8. That there is definitely a point when it becomes too much snow.



9. That climbing mountains is fun, especially in the winter!



10. That goats are great fun to herd, even if they don't get what I'm trying to do.



11. That D means dog! And also Dahlia...



12. To stop being so serious all the time.



13. To fly, even without a jetpack.



14. That tug is the BEST GAME EVER.



15. That Mommy dressing you in ridiculous things means hot dogs.



16. That belly rubs are the best.



17. Ok I'm lying. I knew that a long time ago. (See # 11 above)



18. That laying in the grass is the best way to spend a lazy afternoon.



19. That things learned in agility class apply to real life!



20. That I'm too sexy for these Doggles.

Happy "Gotcha Day" Dahlia!

Since we don't know when Dahlia's birthday, instead we celebrate the day we brought her home. It's hard to believe, but we got Dahlia TWO YEARS AGO this evening. Two years? Where does the time go? We decided to celebrate this weekend by making it all about Dahlia. Ok ok, so it's pretty much ALWAYS all about Dahlia. But this was better than usual.

So what has Dahlia learned in the past two years?

1. That it's good to be polite and wait her turn at the porta-potty.


2. To laugh at our fears of her going too close to the edge of 100-feet drops.


3. That Mommy and Daddy require much patience and waiting while out on walks. Humans are SLOW! And take too many pictures of non-Dahlia things!



4. That striking a nice pose gets lots of love.


5. That photos of neat, picturesque things are ALWAYS improved by having a dog stand in front of them.



6. That crossing creeks can be fun, even if the water is moving and the rocks slippery.

Video #1

Video #2


7. That ear scritches from Daddy are the best!


8. That hamburgers followed by ice cream is the BEST way to end a walk in the park.


9. That looking for chipmunks is great fun!


10. But that digging for them is even better!


Video!


11. That chipmunks are TASTY!


12. That Mommy is, unfortunately, lying and that no chipmunks were harmed in the making of this post.



13. That smelling the air, especially if you smell MORE CHIPMUNKS, is awesome.


14. That digging is seriously the best thing EVER.


15. That swallowing dirt will not kill you, despite what they try to tell you. Go ahead, eat it! Enjoy it!



16. To always present her best side.



17. That a dirty dog is a happy dog.


18. That steak is worth dancing for.