Handsome Boy Modeling School

Don't ask me what this was about. Something about a wedding? All I know is that my modeling services were awarded generously with treats. Will work for food, people!

Like Mommy, like Dog

Nothing beats sleeping in with Laura. Jesse sneaked some pictures of us while we were snoozing before dawn on a recent morning.

Before and after

I'm finally back to my normal weight. On Sunday night I sneaked into the dog food bag when no one was looking. Laura wasn't home, and Jesse was preoccupied with the kitchen remodel. I kept chugging, chugging and chugging until my stomach looked like a small globe. My motto: Don't put off what you can eat tomorrow what you can eat today.

But soon I grew restless and my tummy began to hurt. I kept whining and got the runs every hour. Laura started Googling a fatal condition called bloat: "The exact cause for bloating isn’t really known but the most accepted theory is that the dog has eaten an exceptionally large meal, drank lots of water and then proceeded to exercise strenuously within the next two to three hours." They kept checking my gums and stayed up with me all night. They felt so sorry for me that they let me sleep under the covers again.

Being sick ain't the greatest, but it's nice to be cared for in the comfort of a warm bed.

Cuddle buddies

Just me and Burt chillin' on the sofa. No comments about my blossoming manhood, please.

Push my belly

Jesse has a new trick that he thinks is just hilarious. First he turns me upside down, then he holds me up by my belly. Finally, he gives it a little squeeze until I toot. You can see why I'm not amused.

Speaking of passing gas, some of you have wondered how my new super-premium diet is going. I'm still a little gassy since my switch to to Solid Gold MMillennia (I guess it's so good for you, it deserves a double "M"). But I'm much better, or so I'm told.

Here's to cleaner air!

Winter at last

The best place to be in Minneapolis today was the Minnehaha dog park. All the ugly mud and dead branches from just a couple days ago (how 2006) were now sparkling with snow. As I was sauntering beheath the tree canopies -- admiring the beauty of it all -- Jesse would shake the branches and dump snow all over me. Humans can be so juvenile sometimes.

The biggest news, though, is that I ventured the farthest I've ever dared into the Mississippi River. Jesse lured me with a stick. My monster paws were covered by water about three inches deep. Usually, I'll do anything to avoid a puddle, even on city asphalt. But during our walks this past week, Laura has been coaching me to overcome my phobia by luring me through the wet spots with her clicker. I'll do anything for that damn clicker. Clicker means treats!

First snow

Input, output

The conversation this entire weekend has been about my gassiness. Apparently, it's reaching alarming levels. Here I am laying one of my silent death bombs. You would never know it until it hits you. I can do it in my sleep.

Laura consulted my biological dad, Ajah, to find out what he eats. Turns out that my malodorous nature may actually be a reaction to the kibble I've been chowing down. Laura's thinking of putting me on the same "super-premium" diet that my dad swears by. Will I smell any different? Stay tuned.

Size is relative

And you thought I was big. This weekend Tim and Beth are visiting us from Duluth. This time they brought their dog, Woolie. She is a Newfoundland, which means she's the about the size of a polar bear. When she sits down, she takes up the entire floor!

After some intial barking and circling and sniffing each other's rears, we are beginning to get along. Jesse and Laura say I shouldn't provoke her with my antics because she's not a puppy anymore. Woolie has a very wet mouth, and she drools more when she gets excited. My fur feels fabulous right now with her slobber.

We were supposed to show Woolie the Minnehaha dog park this afternoon, but it's been raining and snowing all day. Hopefully she'll come back soon so we can romp around on the beach together.

The world outside my window

Sometimes my pops and I like to watch the goings-on in the Blue Nile parking lot next door. I don't get terribly agitated, though I do like to throw in a low-sounding "woof" from time to time.