A Day in the Dog-Life of KEEWEE

Before I tell you about a day in my life I need to tell you how the previous day ends…

When Mom and Dad head for the bedroom at night, one of them always asks me if I need to potty before going to bed…and usually, I do just that.  They never let me go outside by myself.  There are coyotes in the area we live, so because I’m not a big dog, they don’t want to risk that danger…and I am truly thankful.  When we come inside, they ask if I need a drink before going to bed, and sometimes I do and sometimes I don’t.  Off we go to the bedroom.  Daddy used to brush my “toofies” when we got to the bathroom.  At first I liked it, but then it didn’t seem to be much fun, so I started to turn my head away and Daddy got the message.  Now he offers me a “little dab’ll do ya” of his toothpaste and I’m alright with that.  I like to lick Daddy’s ankles when he brushes his teeth.  Then he lifts me onto his and Mom’s bed because it’s just a little too high for me to jump.  Sometimes they both read for a little while.  I always give them both a lick (kiss) and then lie down at the foot of the bed (usually where Mom needs to put her feet).  I wait just until Daddy dozes off and I decide that I don’t want to sleep on the bed, but prefer to sleep on the sectional sofa in the den because it has four great back cushions that I can sink into and get very, very cozy.  So I snort a little, Daddy opens his eyes, asks if I have to pee-pee again and takes me to the den.  Once there, if I stand by the patio door, he knows I need to go outside, but normally, I stand by the sofa and he boosts me up, gently puts both his hands on my face, gives me a little kiss and tells me to have a good sleep.  That’s how every day ends…and now let me tell you about a day in the dog-life of KEEWEE.

Ahhh, it feels so good to stretch after a good night’s sleep.  There are days I have to wake Mama and Daddy because I just can’t wait any longer to pee and since I can’t open the patio door myself, I have to get their attention.  Not sure how they know I’m right beside their bed, but one of them pops up and makes sure I get outside in time.  As I’ve gotten older, seems I don’t have to disturb them as often.  They usually have to wake me instead of my waking them.  What a great way to start your day…Mama or Daddy walk into the den, give me a light rub, a kiss on the head and suggests it’s time to potty.  Good suggestion.  I am happy.  I hear them say how lucky they are to have found me.  I never knew I was lost…

Sometime before Mama and Daddy became my Mama and Daddy, I was somewhere else, but I get a bit confused about that.  I’ve heard my life started in 2015.  I can’t confirm that, but that seems reasonable based on what was told to Mama and Daddy.  I don’t remember anyone wanting me.  I remember being alone and being snatched up and taken to this place where there were some kind people and other dogs that were as confused as I was.  They fed me and gave me a bath.  It was frightening at first, but I could tell I wasn’t in danger with those folks.  I remember they “fixed” me so other dogs wouldn’t bother me.  That wasn’t a lot of fun, but it seemed they had to do it.  I’m not sure how long I was there before I met my Mama and Daddy.  I just know that I was sitting in a hot cage and a couple of old people walked up to my cage, got excited at the sight of me, said some words I didn’t understand, and hurriedly walked away.  A short time later, one of those folks who had been feeding me came and got me and took me to a cool little play area and there sat those two old people who had just been staring at me a few minutes ago.  I quickly went to the old lady.  She picked me up gently, put me on her lap, rubbed my head and said “I’m your new Mama and this old guy here is your new Daddy”.  I knew.   I knew immediately that someone wanted me.  I was going home.

I will sometimes go get one of my toys and bring it to them in the bathroom as they’re washing their face.  That’s to let them know that I’m up and ready.  My morning is always so exciting.  Mama and Daddy fix their hot drinks and make decisions on whether to eat something before we go for a W-A-L-K or wait a little while.  They spell that word because they know that I know what that word means and if they say it without spelling it, I get so excited that the decision to eat now or later is a moot point because hearing that word causes me to spin and jump and stare and just kinda go out of control.  My out of control action usually ends up by my jumping up on the kitchen chair, indicating to Mama or Daddy, I’m ready to get my harness on and my leash attached and go, go, go.  So morning walks are the beginning of a beautiful day in the dog-life of KEEWEE.

No matter how many times we’ve walked the same route, I am always ready.  Oh yeah, I pull and tug and try to go a different way or just to the other side of the street, but most of the time, Mama or Daddy wins the tug by simply saying “we’re going this way”.  That’s okay with me.  That’s not to say that I don’t win the tug once in a while.  And honestly, I think Mama and Daddy like the change, too.  Most of the time we walk as a three-some, but there are times when I’m just with one or the other.  Each has a different pace, but we both adjust.  I see lots of bunnies and quail on my walks.  Of course I’m tethered by harness and leash and make a feeble attempt to dart at the bunnies, but they seem to know that I’m not serious about catching them anyhow.  The quail just scurry away and I know I wouldn’t stand a chance of catching them anyway, so I just basically watch them scatter.  I have my favorite bushes along the way.  I can spend more time smelling those than Mama or Daddy can understand, but they’re pretty patient with my loitering.

We meet other people and other dogs along our walk.  I have my dog friends and that’s always a highlight of my morning.  Some of the people I can take or leave and those that show no interest in me, I leave – usually with a bark or two.  That kind of puts them off, so I guess that’s why they don’t show a fondness for me.  They don’t know this, but I have never nor will I ever bite anyone, but my warning keeps those moody people away.  I think I must be very cute because I get a lot of attention from non-moody people, truth be told, I really love having folks admire my cuteness.

There are a lot of people riding my neighborhood in golf carts.  I like the people, but I don’t like the golf carts.   My barking at the carts usually causes them to speed away.

On my morning walks, I see garage doors open.  I know that is a sign that someone wants me to come in and visit, but Mama or Daddy aren’t convinced.  Visit denied. 

My Daddy. on the morning walks keeps asking me if I have to poop.  Believe me, if I have to poop, I will do so when I’m ready.  This is rather embarrassing, but sometimes I feel like I haven’t left all the poop that I pooped.  In other words, it might have clung.  To call that to the attention of my Daddy, I will show a sullen mood, head lowered, tail between my legs, and slow down the pace.  Daddy is so smart…he catches on right away.  When he says “want me to check your butt?”, I am relieved to find out.  Lifting my tail and hind quarters off the ground, he inspects and when he declares, with enthusiasm, “aww, you’ve got a clean butt” , my spirits are lifted, my tail is lifted, my pace is lifted and I’m a happy girl.

We complete our morning walk by entering home through the garage.  I’m not sure why we do that, but I think it was my idea and they have gone along with it.  Unleashed and unharnessed, I jump back on that same kitchen chair and wait for my treats.  They bought me “training” treats which are so small that Daddy is compelled to give me four of them.  For one thing, I no longer need to be trained and if he wants to give me four, that’s fine with me.  It did help me learn to count to four, though.  Counting to four is another of my morning rituals.

Breakfast for Mama, Daddy and me differ.  I usually have a bowl of kibble (topped with 4 or 5 honey-nut cheerios) and a bowl of water ready at my convenience.  Mama will eat a bagel or yogurt or something healthy.  Daddy loves his bowl of raisin-bran flakes.  Daddy carries his bowl of bran to the office along with his cup of coffee so he can catch up on his morning emails.  Not sure how it began, but he gave me a bran flake one morning and since it appeared to him that I liked it, he gave me another until he had given me four.  The next morning when he got his cereal and coffee and headed to the office, I followed him.  Noticing me staring at him at his desk, he asked if I wanted some flakes (another word I learned).  Of course, who could turn down a bran flake?  So he counted them out to me – “one, two, three and four, all gone”.  I thanked him, and left the office.  Now every time Daddy’s eating raisin-bran flakes, I’m entitled to four flakes (no raisins), after which I turn and leave the office without being told “all gone”.

Breakfast done, time for a morning nap, a running leap onto the sofa, sink into a cushion.

I dream as I nap.  On the day I first met my Mama and Daddy, I remember them carrying me to their car.  I sat on Mama’s lap for the drive to my new home.  I liked riding in a car.  It wasn’t long after I got to my new home, my Mama and Daddy took me to my doctor.  They were concerned about the area on my tummy where I had been “fixed”.  As it turned out, that fixing needed to be redone and that was not a pleasant time for me, but Mama and Daddy made sure I was taken care of.  They showed me so much love and I have tried to return that love every day.  Even though that was a trying time, I realized that I really, really like being able to go for rides in the car.  Mama and Daddy bought me this awesome car-seat that affords me the chance to ride high and see out the window as we drive along.  And I can even nap in that car seat if the drive is a long one.  My Mama and Daddy have taken me on some long drives to see my besties – Bear, Kona, Hilo, Stormy, Taffy.  I love to ride.

I have a basket of toys in the den.  Sometimes, I just get the urge to grab one and make it squeak and squeak and squeak.  My Daddy knows that is a signal that I want him to play with me.  He will take that toy and make it squeak louder than I can and entice me to come get it.  Of course I know that if I go after it, he will toss it over my head and we both chase it.  I win because I’m a lot faster than he is.  But I let him take it away from me and throw it again.  I can see he tires easily, so I scoop up that toy and leap up on the sofa letting him know that he can take a break now.  Considerate of me, huh?

Morning in the dog-life of KEEWEE

Afternoons in the dog-life of KEEWEE are sometimes exciting, sometimes boring, sometimes peaceful.  I don’t always eat my breakfast in its entirety because I know that Daddy has plans for me for my lunch.   I’ve learned the words ‘hungry” and “food” and know exactly what they mean – chickie-chickie.  Mama and Daddy have spoiled me and bought for me my very own chicken tenders.  They package them in smaller packages and freeze them so it seems like I’ll have chickie-chickie forever.  Sometime after noon, Daddy will say to me, “Are you hungry”, “do you want some food?”  Well that means chickie-chickie to me.  A small amount of kibble is added to my morning kibble, then topped with small pieces of chicken tenders.  Then there’s a ritual where Daddy says in his excitement “are you ready” and I have to do my spin-around thing to please him and then he puts my chickie-chickie down on my mat…yum, yum…thank you, Daddy.

After eating, I have to pee.  I pee a lot.  Out we go.  Back in for a rest before the afternoon walk.  During the winter, the afternoon walks are early afternoon and during the summer the post-lunch walks sometimes are very late afternoon or early evening because it so warm at my home in the Summer.  In any event, I usually have time to snooze before that second walk of the day in the dog-life of KEEWEE.

While afternoon snoozing, I dream of all the love I’ve received from Mama and Daddy and realize that I have been pleasing them by being a very devoted and loving family member.  I know they are taking care of me as no other could.  As an example, they know how much I like to go for a ride.  They include me whenever it’s possible.  They don’t leave me alone for long periods of time.  There have been times when I have been unable to get their attention to let them know I really need to go outside.  Not often, but I have had an accident in the house.  Mama and Daddy didn’t shout or scold me…they understood that it happened because I couldn’t get their attention.

  It doesn’t rain much in my area and when it does, it’s difficult to go outside to do that peeing thing and not get very wet.  Well, Mama and Daddy have a towel at the ready when I come back in and I love it when they pick me up, wrap the towel around me, scrub me dry, carry me into the house bundled up and set me down gently.  Now that’s love…right?  …or do they just don’t want the sofa to get wet??

Second walk of the day. 

If Daddy doesn’t initiate the second walk, I make sure that I do.  Honestly, I think my Daddy is part dog because he understands my movements, my gestures, my staring, my snorts, or my exhales.  He asks me if I’m ready for a walk, duh, what do you think?  So back to the harness chair.  I try to help with the harness.  My right leg goes through the loop first and I lift my left leg and poke around in mid-air searching for the loop all the while giving my Daddy a kiss as he’s sitting beside me on the chair.  Eventually, I have to back off on the kiss because Daddy can’t get the harness snapped with my head turned toward him.  And of course, he doesn’t see very well, so I’m helping him by doing that.  Mama usually sits out the afternoon walk.  But you know what?  As soon as I get back, I’ll rush through the garage and go check on Mama to make sure she’s still there and she’s still okay.

  My Daddy talks a lot while we’re out walking.  Guess he’s always been like that.  He has funny names for me, too.  We’ll be walking along and I’ll hear him say, “Hey, touka-touka, you okay?”  Well, yeah, I think so, are you okay Daddy? (I wish I could say)  He calls me “Sweet-pea”, but I don’t think my pee is sweet.  Another name I hear him say to me is “Ticky-Wicky”.  I have no idea where that came from.  He varies the other name to “Touka-Tocka” sometimes.   Mama calls me “Sweetheart” and “Baby Girl” and “Honey”.   Those sound normal, right?  I love it when Daddy says I love you  KEEWEE-WEE.  That extra WEE means a lot.

The afternoon walks are more fast-paced outbound, but I make sure we slow down coming home.  Most of the time, Daddy is patient, allowing me to explore and sniff to my heart’s content.  Sometimes I push it a little more than I should and Daddy starts moaning and saying “KeeWee, please, let’s go…I’m tired, I wanna go home”.  Waa, Waa, Waa

Returning home, I get some training treats, one, two, three, and four!

It’s been a good day.  I’ve walked, I’ve played, I’ve eaten, I’ve walked again.  Mama and Daddy settle in for a quiet evening.  I’m content to be in my home, on my sofa, sunk in my cushions with my Mama and my Daddy here with me at the end of a day in the dog-life of KEEWEE.

When Mom and Dad head for the bedroom at night, one of them always asks me if I need to potty before going to bed…