Pitties in the Cities

Ooh E Ooh Ah Ah

2011-04-11T07:24:00.000-05:00

One of my two-legged cousins was visiting Blue House Land this weekend and had to make a video for school. Guess who was one of the stars?

XOXO,

Josie V.

Wordless Wednesday

2011-01-12T14:18:00.002-06:00

Hear that?

2011-01-09T22:36:00.000-06:00

I think I just heard the sound of the GB Pack kickin' Michael Vick's butt tonight!

Yep...woot!

Kisses,

J.V.N.

Wordless Wednesday

2011-01-05T18:10:00.000-06:00

2011-01-03T18:09:00.000-06:00

Right now we are in Mini-Snow-ta.

It is a place. It is a season. It is atrocious.

When I go outside now I have to wear my Christmas sweater.

My dainty little pe-bo paws get frozen in the snow and ice. But I cannot complain because last time I did, mom said she would buy me dog booties. I think the Christmas sweater is humiliation enough.

Brody and our cousin Maddie do not mind the snow, even though it is so deep we can hardly see over it:

(Somehow, even with my Christmas sweater, I manage to remain more dignified than Brody.)

When I absolutely must go outdoors I tiptoe up to my spot and then run back into the house as quickly as possible.

I think that it is better just to stay indoors in warm arms.

XOXO,

Josie Valentine

Home for the Holidays

2010-12-22T14:16:00.001-06:00

Mom says there's no place like Home for the Holidays. I did not know where that place is located but mom explained that at the holidays you get to go be with all of the people you love at the same time, which is pretty much my main objective, so I knew I would like it there.

It turns out that Home for the Holidays is in a town called We-Scons-In. The first holiday was Thanksgiving. It is difficult to describe it in words so I put together a re-enactment with mom and dad:

Dramatic Re-Enactment

At Thanksgiving,

I got to be Thankful for new people,

I got to be Thankful for old people,

and I got to be Thankful for plaid people.

I got to re-gift my crate. YES!! (But then it was re-gifted back to me...like fruitcake.)

I got to break the rules,

without getting in trouble.

I got to give comfort.

I got to leave Brody on the floor. Hehe.

Soon we will be back at Home for the Holidays for a day called Christmas. When we get done with We-Scon-Sin we will come back to Bluehouse Land and spend the rest of the winter curling up in front of the fireplace and waiting for spring time to come again.

Wordless Wednesday

2010-10-13T07:56:00.000-05:00

Brody and our houseguest Gabbi

Dial-A-Bull

2010-10-11T19:18:00.001-05:00

You don't usually hear about Fall being a time for new beginnings, but this one sure has been, at least for me!

For one thing, it has marked the beginning of my modeling career. Believe it or not, Ms. Josie V. Nick will be appearing in TWO calendars for 2011: A Rotta Love Plus and BAD RAP. Woot!! I hear that the A Rotta Love calendars are going fast, so be sure to order yours today. (The BAD RAP ones will be going on sale in a couple of weeks.)

My second new career is...

...wait for it...

...therapy dog! Double Woot!!

One day Mom and I went to Teedy-Eye class like we normally do, but when we got there there we saw weird dogs that I had never met before, and a new Nice Lady was in charge. I had to do all of the normal stuff -- sit, stay, walk nice, etc., but you are not going to believe this -- mom and Nice Lady wanted me to do it WITHOUT TREATS! What the heck, people!

Anyway, just to be polite I did everything they asked me to do. At the end, mom and Original Nice Lady (the normal Teedy-Eye instructor), jumped up and down like crazy people and took pictures of me. Original Nice Lady even gave me something called a potato chip (okay it was more like 10 potato chips), so I must have done the right thing when I was polite for nothing earlier. The crunchy deliciousness was definitely worth it.

Then they tied a Teedy-Eye bandanna around my neck:

Teedy-Eye Represent.

On the way home, Mom put on her favorite Miley Cyrus song, dedicated it to me, sang it at the top of her lungs with a fake microphone, and cried a little happy tear....

OMG. it. was. so. embarrassing.

I did not have to wait very long to put my new skills to work, because soon after that we heard there was a little girl who had a Very Bad Fear of Dogs. The girl's mom wanted to help her feel safe around dogs again, so she did what any logical parent would do -- she called a pit bull rescue, of course! I met the Nice Girl and showed her that she did not need to be afraid of good doggies. We had a very nice day and I hope I get to meet her again soon.

Josie V. Nick, reporting for duty.

Now that I am gainfully employed both a Model and a Therapy Dog, mom and dad told me that it is time that I retire from my old job (Assistant Manager of Backyard Critters, etc.). Ironically they made me retire on my best day ever on the job. The day they asked for my resignation, I had caught a sassy rabbit that had been lingering too long by the tomatoes, taunting me with its Tail of Fluff and Insolence. I was expecting Mom and Dad to jump for joy but instead they looked pretty sad. After escorting me into the house they performed a brief ceremony for the rabbit, whom they even named. (Hop-A-Long, in case you're wondering). Good riddance.

I am rambling a bit so I will try to keep the rest of my update short and sweet. Yesterday I graduated from Rott N' Pitt Ed. I will really miss that class and the Very Nice Helpers that answered all of Mama's questions and helped me be my best. I will also miss the chance to parade around in front of Paige's camera once a week -- she is always capturing my best side! Behold exhibits A, B, and C:

Walkin' the walk.

Taking a break with my #1 fan.

Even this fence cannot hide the cuteness that is Jo.

So as you can see I have been pretty busy, but not to worry -- I am still finding time for a good nap in the sun.

Til next time,

Josie Valentine Nick, CGC, TDI

Jo-Z for Prez

2010-09-02T14:22:00.002-05:00

That crazy mom of mine has entered me in a calendar contest and, with your help, she says I might actually have a chance!

I, moiself, have always enjoyed a good competition. If you do too, you can vote for me to be part of BAD RAP's 2011 Calendar here. (BAD RAP is a fantastic organization that aided in the rescue of my fellow bust doggies.)

As Miss Piggy once put it, "There is the satisfaction of providing your public with a vision of true beautology, true sytlisity, - how can I put it? – true glamorositude."

XOXO,

Josie V.

Back to Work

2010-08-13T15:43:00.000-05:00

I don't know if you people have noticed, but summer vacation is almost over! Time flies when you're spending all day chasing the critters.

Last night a big storm came to Bluehouse Land. The thunder didn't wake me up but the sound of Brody's babyish whimpering did! As I was laying awake waiting for Brody to be a man (like that could ever happen), I heard a big thump. Mom and Dad got out of bed and all four of us looked out the window. A big tree was attacking Bluehouse Land! I really wanted to go outside and defend my kingdom from the tree but Dad made me go back to bed instead. He really should have let me:

Anyway, now that summer vacation is almost over I have been very busy. You would think it was enough to just do a good job at my critter-hunting, but you would be wrong. Mom has me on a busier schedule than a Chinese gymnast! A typical week looks like this:

Monday. Therapy Dog Class. This is where I am learning to be a Teedy-Eye. At this week's class I got to meet a lot of kids and I loved them a lot and they loved me too. This is a mostly fun class except when the instructor puts the pile of summer sausage on the floor and all of us dogs have to LEAVE IT. Whoever invented The Leave It should be locked in a room with Brody during a thunderstorm!
Wednesday. Tricks Class. This class is the BEST omg I get so many treats. So far I have learned pout, spin, high five, and crawl. Next week there is a rumor that I will learn how to open a cupboard door. (Really people?! Sometimes, you humans do not think ahead. But I am not complaining.)
Thursday. Dog Safety. This is not a class but just a fun time where I get to hang out with nice kids and teach them that you should not flail at the dog but that you should instead act like a sane human being and give the dog a little time to sniff you before you assault it with your spastic gestures of friendship, thankyouverymuch.
Sunday. Pit Bull Education. I haven't been to this yet but I will start soon. This class is where mom and dad learn about how to remind me Who is in Charge Here. In other words, it should be a real hoot!

I try to catch some beauty rest between appointments.

'Til next time, your one and only,

Josie Valentine

Kisses!

Nappin' and a Scratchin'

2010-07-06T14:55:00.000-05:00

Hello my Long-Lost Peeps!

You have probably wondering why I have not been doing a very good job on keeping you up to date on Josie Life. The truth is, Josie Life has been on vacation because it is summer time now!

When I first came to my Forever Home in Blue House Land, mama had me working hard. I had to learn so many new things about my house and my new people, and then I had to learn how to be a Good Citizen and how to listen to mama at agility class, and I had to work hard to grow all my shiny fur, too.

I still have a lot of work to do -- in fact, mama says I am starting my Teedy-Eye class next week (I'd better rest up while I can!). But she also says that I have the whole Rest of My Life to become a Teedy-Eye and that for now, I just get to be a regular dog and enjoy my first summer of freedom.

So I have been doing a whole lot of patio sittin':

And yard watchin':

Fancy-new-clothes wearin':

Don't forget some afternoon wrasslin':

And of course, treat eatin':

And my personal favorite, a whole lot of new-people meetin'*:

I hope that you are having a relaxing summer, too!

XOXO,

Josie Valentine

-----
*Bonus Instructional Pictorial: How to Meet a New Person by Josie V. Nick:

Step 1. Sniff person and see if they have any treats in their hand.
Step 2. If treat, sit for treat.
Step 3. If no treat, wag tail excessively until treat is produced (see Figure 1).

Figure 1.

Step 4. Receive scratches behind the ear. Begin to entice others in the surrounding area to come forward and produce a more full-body scratch. Also, they might have treats. (See Figure 2.)

Figure 2.

Step 5. Attempt to crawl inside new person.

Step 6. Barring success in Step #5, get as close to new person as possible.

Step 7. Continue to mush yourself into new person for as long as possible, i.e. until they make you stop. Tip: Closing your eyes will generally prolong the mushing process.

Step 8. Enjoy new friend. (See Figure 3).

Figure 3.

Left to my Own Devices

2010-06-14T02:34:00.000-05:00

Mama is on vacation. One day she packed up her suitcase, kissed us puppies goodbye and left, and hasn't come back yet. But dad says she'll be back in a few days and that I shouldn't worry about her.

I really miss her (but probably not as much as she misses me, let's face it people). I have been pretty bored without her around to entertain me all day, although Rick comes to visit us every day to take us for a walk so that has been pretty fun. Other than that I've been doing a lot of napping. But here is some humor in lieu of a good Josie story.

What Dogs Think:
8:00 am - Dog food! My favorite thing!
9:30 am - A car ride! My favorite thing!
9:40 am - A walk in the park! My favorite thing!
10:30 am - Got rubbed and petted! My favorite thing!
12:00 pm - Lunch! My favorite thing!
1:00 pm - Played in the yard! My favorite thing!
3:00 pm - Wagged my tail! My favorite thing!
5:00 pm - Milk Bones! My favorite thing!
7:00 pm - Got to play ball! My favorite thing!
8:00 pm - Wow! Watched TV with the people! My favorite thing!
11:00 pm - Sleeping on the bed! My favorite thing!

What Cats Think
Day 983 of my captivity... My captors continue to taunt me with bizarre little dangling objects. They dine lavishly on fresh meat, while the other inmates and I are fed hash or some sort of dry nuggets. Although I make my contempt for the rations perfectly clear, Nevertheless must eat something in order to keep up my strength. The only thing that keeps me going is my dream of escape. In an attempt to disgust them, I once again vomit on the carpet. Today I decapitated a mouse and dropped its headless body at their feet.. I had hoped this would strike fear into their hearts, since it clearly demonstrates what I am capable of. However, they merely made condescending comments about what a 'good little hunter' I am. The bastards. I am convinced that the other prisoners here are flunkies and snitches. The dog receives special privileges. He is regularly released - and seems to be more than willing to return. He is obviously slow in the head.

Ha! Cats are so foolish.

XOXO,
Josie

Summer Lovin'

2010-05-28T11:46:00.002-05:00

Hanging out with dad and Brody:

Checking out the goods from the outside kitchen:

Mama's boy alert!

Good Citizen, Good Neighbor

2010-05-05T15:19:00.000-05:00

Hola mis amigos! Happy Cinco de Mayo! Since today is my last agility class, mom decided it was time for me to start Spanish lessons. Just kidding.

So are you ready for some good news? I finally became a Canine Good Citizen just like my mom always wanted me to be! Wahoo!

After I became a Good Citizen we came home and had a party with a bunch of my two-legged friends to celebrate.

Dad fed me a bunch of meatballs as a reward...om nom nom nom. (Later I got a tummy ache, but it was worth it.)

Some of my fans (Rick, dad, and Auntie Katie):

I got all of the attention.

Kiss me, I'm a good citizen!

It was a good party.

Today mom took me in to meet some new friends at State Farm, and I was really excited to run around with all of the cows and horses but then we got there and it wasn't really a farm, but an office. At any rate, the people there were very nice. Mom wanted them to meet me so they knew what kind of dogs they were insuring. Mom said thank you to them for not discriminating against dogs like me.

XOXO,

Josie

Unleash-a-bull!

2010-05-03T12:21:00.011-05:00

Hi everyone, Josie-V here (that's V as in Valentine, and not like the Roman numeral 5, because there's only one Josie and that's ME!). Anywho, I really have not had a lot of time to post, because I have a very exciting announcement: I got a job! My new job is called "Assistant Manager of Keeping all the Chipmunks out of the Yard and all the Other Critters Too, Even Flies Because Brody is Afraid of Them."

Mom and dad put up a fence and now I don't have to wear my leash when I am in the yard. That means I can spend all of my time doing my job. Sometimes I let Brody help if he's not being too bossy. (You can see by his expression that he thinks he is pretty smart.)

We took our new job very seriously this weekend. After lots of looking around,

And sniffing around,

We found out that the critters live underneath the deck in a secret underground apartment like teenage ninja turtles!

I climbed up there and found their apartment! Do you see me there next to Brody, with my head in their little house? Ha!

Here is a video mom took of Brody and me while we were taking a break from our job. I told her she needs a better video camera, because this one really does not do us justice in terms of how cute we are. She said, "maybe if I didn't have to spend all my money on dog treats and new fences, I would be able to buy a better camera!" (Sheesh, guilt trip much, mom?)

Mom and dad spend a lot of time with us outside because it has been so nice out lately.

Blue House Land is a lot prettier in the Spring!

Til next time,

Josie

p.s. I have another good story to tell later, so watch for another post soon!

Deviants

2010-04-15T09:28:00.007-05:00

Hello, people!

Spring is really here now (wahoo!) and mom and dad started growing food outside. At first I was pretty excited about having food growing in my kingdom, but then they put up a fence so that I could not eat the food that they grow in there. Plus, Brody watches over the outside kitchen and there's that look again, telling me that I better not go in and eat mom and dad's lettuce:

He is such a goody-goody.

On Saturday, dad gave me a bath -- yuck -- and washed my collar and put a shiny new tag on it that says "Josie." (As if there are people in this world who do not know my name! Ha!) Then we went in the car to a big warehouse with lots of art and people. The warehouse was called Deviant Art and it had lots of paintings and photos of pit bulls and other dogs; it was to show people how cute we are, I think. I got to meet so many people and a few dogs, too. There was even a rug made completely out of squeeky toys! Oh my gosh you guys, I was in heaven.

Mom showed me a painting of myself that she and dad are going to hang up in their house. I am not sure why they would want to look at a painting when they could just look at me any time. But sometimes people are weird, you know how it is.

Here is a picture of me and mom at the art place. This picture and the one below it were taken by the super-cool Paige, a.ka. Pearla's mom. Pearla is my friend from CGC class and my mom is always going on and on about how precious she is. I guess! But anyway, back to me.

On Sunday I had to take a test to see if I was really a Good Citizen like mom has been teaching me how to be. I tried, really I did.

That picture is me, trying to watch mom instead of watching 1) other people, 2) other dogs, 3) my imaginary friends. But a dog like me can't be expected to ignore these things all the time, so I am not a Good Citizen yet. Mom says that I am now in Boot Camp until I get to take the test again. All Boot Camp means is going for lots of walks near people and dogs and smells, all the while getting yummy treats in my belly, so I really don't mind.

One more quick story about Deviants. I heard mom and dad talking about how my former owner finally got sentenced for being a dog fighter. Mom and dad said how they wished he would be in jail, but that didn't happen; then they said how they wished he would never get the privilege of owning a dog again, but that didn't happen either. All that happened is he has to do community service. They said they could think of some pretty creative ways for him to spend his community service time. Can you?

XOXO,

Josie-osie-o

Easter Bunny

2010-04-05T09:16:00.002-05:00

Yesterday was a day called Easter.

Mom and dad took us on a long walk around the Lake of the Isles.

Lots of people said that I was cute and a few of them knew I was a pit bull right away and wanted to pet me just because they knew I was a pit bull! So I made sure to be on my best Josie behavior so as not to tarnish my outstanding reputation.

Then we went home and I sunbathed on the deck all day and watched mom and dad do a lot of yard work. It's not exactly a rough life for me right now, I suppose. :-)

XOXO,

Josie Valentine

p.s. The Easter bunny ain't got nothin' on these ears, people!

Some People and their Dogs

2010-03-29T07:55:00.000-05:00

Un-Busted

2010-03-24T08:16:00.015-05:00

Hi all, this is Josie Valentine again. (Who else?)

As you know, I am definitely a "live in the now" kind of dog -- most dogs are -- and I don't like to dwell in the past. But mom thought it might be helpful to my fans if I spent just a few minutes explaining how it came about that I am living in Blue House Land. If you have a weak stomach, don't worry -- I promise to keep the gory details to a minimum. It's no fun to remember, but hey, at least the story has a happy ending!

I used to live in the village of Iowa. Iowa was nothing like Blue House Land, let me tell you! In Iowa, I lived outside, attached to a tree, by myself, all the time. I did not know what it meant to be a family member. I did not even know what the inside of a house looked like! All day and all night, by myself, cold (in the winter, freezing!) and very, very lonely. And if you've ever witnessed my cuddling skills, I don't have to tell you that this was a huge waste of a World Champion Cuddler Extraordinaire!

I might have stayed that way for my entire life, except for one tiny detail: my previous "owner," who I shall refer to in this blog by the very mysterious code name P.O.S., was actually being watched on secret hidden video by the feds! Woah! The feds wanted to catch P.O.S. and a bunch of other people in the act of dog fighting. Basically, what happens in dog fighting is that P.O.S. and his friends would sometimes take some of my doggy friends away, and then sometimes those dogs would never come back or sometimes they'd come back and be all busted up. It was pretty scary!

(You may find it interesting to know that when he wasn't fighting dogs, P.O.S. was a high school science teacher and golf coach. It's creepy, right, people? I mean it's bad enough when our professional athletes turn out to be dog fighters, but teachers now, too? Outrageous!)

Anyway, those feds must be pretty smart because their plan worked and they caught P.O.S. and a lot of other people on video doing all sorts of unsavory things to us dogs. As a result, on July 8, 2009 I was just hanging out, minding my own business peacefully, when all of a sudden, some people pulled up in a big van in my yard. I was pretty scared at first but these people were very friendly and soon came over and took me and my other doggy friends off of our chains. These people were like super heroes! They worked tirelessly from their super hero vans, making sure all the dogs could be free from their chains. The super heroes freed almost 500 dogs in all! Not just from Iowa, but from a bunch of other states too. It was kind of a big deal.

(If you want more details you can read all about them in this document from the feds. This is a bit of a "gory detail" document where you will learn unpleasant things like how P.O.S. was the "sponge man" in charge of cleaning the blood of the dogs before sending them back into the ring basically. Yuck! And here is another news story about it, "Inside America's Biggest Dog Fighting Bust.")

So, back to the super heroes. Once they had all of us dogs freed, they loaded us into their van and took us to a big shelter. The shelter was pretty scary too, but at least I was indoors and given food and water. I had to stay in the shelter for a long time -- the super heroes said it was because we were "evidence" so we couldn't be freed yet. After a few months, I was getting a little bored of being in the shelter place, and I'm embarrassed to say I was getting a little fat from all of the yummy treats that the shelter super heroes gave me. But finally, P.O.S. plead guilty to the charges against him, which meant that I never had to go to Iowa and my tree ever again! Wahoo!

But I was not yet free. (Being a bust dog takes a little patience, people!)

Instead, the super heroes and I were faced with a new challenge: finding enough people to be families for me and my fellow bust dogs. This was not easy, especially in Iowa, where something called Breed Specific Legislation (BSL) means that it's very hard for Iowans to adopt a pit bull like me. Mom says that BSL gives new meaning to the acronym I.O.W.A. if you catch my drift, but in fact BSL happens in lots of places, not just Iowa.

Anywho, even this challenge did not stop the phenomenal Iowa super heroes. They brought in even MORE super heroes from BAD RAP in California, A Rotta Love Plus in Minnesota, and other pit bull rescue groups, who traveled all the way to Iowa to take us the rest of the way on our journey. (BAD RAP wrote about me during this stage of my journey, and so did ARLP, ooh boy my head was starting to get big from all this attention!)

I used all my Josie charms to catch the eye of some really nice ladies from A Rotta Love Plus and they let me out of my crate and did some tests to make sure that I would be nice to people (me? nice to people? what a hoot!). Obviously, I passed (NO DUH) and the next thing I knew I was in yet another car, on a really long car ride to Minnesota. There's even a video about it! (Yes, I am basically famous, but I try not to brag).

This is getting to be a long story, but hang in there -- we're getting to the best part. Once I got to Minnesota, I became a Foster Dog. A Foster Dog is a dog who gets to live in a home with nice people and dogs and learns the ways of the world. And boy did I get lucky in my foster home! My foster mom was so nice and taught me so many awesome things about living in a house. She even wrote about me a lot on the A Rotta Love Plus blog! I had a lot of fun with her, and I was so good at being a foster dog that they let me go to another foster home for a little while too, and I got to learn even more about being a family dog.

In short, life in Minnesota was awesome, and I really liked being a foster, but something was missing -- I still hadn't found a Forever Home. My foster parents told me not to worry because it takes time to find the right family for a Special and Famous dog like Ms. Josie; in the mean time they worked very hard to make sure I would be ready for it when the time came. To be honest I never worried about it much because I was having so much fun being a foster. I didn't think it could get any better!

Finally, on Valentine's Day, there was a knock on the door and in walked my mom and dad, although I didn't know it at the time. They tell me now that it was love at first sight, and I must admit I liked them right away too. I had a feeling that it was right, and so did they, and that's when they took me home to Blue House Land and thus began my current life of cuddling and playing and sleeping in the same dog bed every night and having lots of friends to play with like Brody and Auntie Katie and Terrae, and never having to spend a night out in the cold again. (Oh yes, and all that pesky hard work that my mom makes me do to become a Good Citizen someday.)

So that's how I went from being Property, to Evidence, to Foster, to Family.

Thank you to all of the super heroes who got me where I am today.

Just Livin' the Dream

2010-03-24T07:54:00.007-05:00

I know I have not updated you on the ins and outs of my Josie-rific life lately, but it is spring time and there are a lot of new smells to be sniffed, so I do not like to spend a lot of time on the computer. When I am not out sniffing the good sniffs, I have been very busy learning new things so that I can someday become a Canine Good Citizen. For humans a good citizen is someone who pays their taxes and reduces, reuses, and recycles, but for dogs I guess it means walking nice on a leash, sitting politely while a stranger pets you, and ignoring all of the amazing and interesting distractions in the world. In other words, it's pretty boring. It must not be boring for mom though because she is constantly making me do this kind of thing; I swear, she is nuts.

What else. We all go for a car ride almost every day and I have noticed that my tummy doesn't feel quite as sick as it used to in the car. If I curl up in a tiny ball and pretend we're not driving, I feel just dandy. I love to go to the pet food store and let the nice people pet me (once I'm SITTING, if you're reading this, mom!). I love to go for walks and let the nice people pet me there, too. I get to play with my big brother Brody every day and he's pretty cool. And I LOVE to look out the window and watch for critters like squirrels and chipmunks. Those sassy little creatures don't know it yet, but one day I am going to figure out how to open the door and then they will be in big trouble.

Here I am, just hanging out with my brother. He takes life too seriously, if you ask me!

Daydreaming About Summer

2010-03-18T14:52:00.001-05:00

An Adoption Story

2010-03-03T11:01:00.004-06:00

Bro Bro fo Sho

2010-02-28T15:40:00.001-06:00

When I became Official, something else happened besides just getting to stay here forever: I got a Brother. His name is Brody, and he's...well...I will let you see for yourself:

Brody is sometimes a little bit grouchy. You see that look in his eye? Mom and dad call that his stink eye, and when he gives it to me, I'm supposed to let him sleep instead of climbing all over him.

The good news is, when he's not giving me the stink eye, I get to cuddle with him a little bit.

Brody likes to play during the day so we do that a lot. Sometimes my dad makes us stop when we start acting too much "like wild animals." In Blue House Land the animals are expected to be Civilized, he says.

Other positive things about Brody include:

1. He is a good hunter.

2. He is handsome.

3. I have to go for a car ride now, bye!

Official

2010-02-28T14:45:00.001-06:00

Today is my two week anniversary of being in Blue House Land and things are happy. Best parts: warm snuggling, popcorn falls on the floor sometimes, lots of nice people visit me. Worst part: sometimes I still have to go on my tether inside the house, and when that happens and my people leave the house, I get very sad, because it's a lot more fun when they are home. Other than that, this is a really good place to be! You should come see me sometime, I'll show you all the fun things.

Yesterday I woke up and Mrs. Dudette said that it was a very special day, because it was the day I was becoming Official. Nice Mrs. Rescue Lady came over and told me that being Official meant that I never have to live in a cold concrete cage ever again, or tied to a tree outside, or any other not-fun place without popcorn, and that I get to stay in Blue House Land forever. Wahoo! She also said that now I can call Mr. and Mrs. Dude and Dudette "mom and dad" instead, so that's pretty cool because it's a lot easier to type.

My mom wore a green shirt for my becoming Official day because she said she is very lucky to have me.

Do I look Official to you?

There's one other thing about being Official that I should tell you about, but it can wait til the next post. NAP TIME, people! Later!

Hostage

2010-02-17T13:20:00.000-06:00

What is a "hostage?"

Mrs. Dudette told me yesterday that I have to learn to be alone on my tether without howling like a maniac so that she doesn’t have to be one. Mr. Dude says that if Mrs. Dudette can’t leave the house, she gets very crabby, and if she is a hostage, that means she can’t leave the house. It’s kind of ironic – I mean, I’m the one that’s tied up here, lady! But I guess I am trying, because I want her to be happy and not a hostage. But let me tell you, I do not like to be alone very much.

I have now been living in Blue House land for about three days. It has been really fun here so far – I have lots of toys to play with and a sunny place to rest, and my new people just love to cuddle. (Last night I even got to watch LOST with them, man, that show is amazing and mysterious!)

Another fun thing we do here is learn tricks. Don’t tell Mrs. Dudette this, but so far the tricks are a lot easier than the ones I learned at my foster mom’s house -- I like to pretend like they’re not, though, because that’s the best way to get hot dogs in my tummy. Oh, sure, I will sit for a piece of hot dog whenever you want, lady! Yesterday Mrs. Dudette told me I am learning these tricks to get something called Teedy-Eye. Kind of sounds like something that should be checked out by a vet if you ask me, so for now, I’m only in it for the hot dogs.

They are cheese-filled, people!

‘Til next time,

Josie Valentine

2010-02-15T11:48:00.000-06:00

Josie Valentine

2010-02-15T08:43:00.000-06:00

Yesterday was a Day called Valentines. It was a pretty good day. In the afternoon, two friendly people came to visit me at my foster dad's place. After lots of pets and snuggles from the new people, and tons of boring talking between the humans, I settled down for a nap on the floor. Just when I finally got comfortable, the new people said, "it's not nap time Josie, it's time to go home" to a land called Blue House. They made me walk out in the cold snow to the car, brrr, I don't really like it out there when the snow gets in my paws. I don't really like car rides, either, they make me feel pukey. I was trying to be positive, but honestly people, it was not going well so far. But I got in anyway, just to be out of the snow, and sat on the blond-dudette's lap. She bundled me up in a blanket and the nice dude drove us away from my foster daddy. I sure will miss that nice foster man and his lady friend with all the smooches and hugs!

On the way home, the new Dude and Dudette sang along to the radio music to make me feel better. It must have worked, because I didn't puke at all! Things were looking up.

When I got to the Blue House I did my business outside and then got to go into the warm indoors and sniff around. I found a nice ball to put in my mouth. Mrs. Dudette lady cuddled me in her arms for a long time. Then she showed me my new bed, and boy was it comfy. When I laid in it at night, I could see Dude and Dudette sleeping on the other side of the room.

They looked very tired last night so I tried to be a very good and quiet Josie so that they could sleep all night. It must have worked because when they finally woke up they told me what a good dog I had been and how happy they were to see me this morning.

I think I like this Blue House place.