I Wish I Could Speak People-Ese

Being a dog is awesome.  I have a great day every day.  Still, there are things that I wish were different in my life with the People.  One of the things that I wish were different is that I wish I could talk the same way they do.  Sometimes, I think they have a hard time understanding me.

Here is a great example.  Sometimes we have what the People call Visitors. Not very often. Yesterday, there was a Lady visitor.  The Lady looked so friendly, and I wanted to play with her.  I didn't know how to tell her that I wanted to play with her, though. I started talking to her like dogs do...I barked.  She started acting strange and worried, like I was going to hurt her.  I was like, no, Lady, I'm not going to hurt you.  I'm welcoming you, and I want to play with you.  She couldn't understand me.

Then, the Mommy picked me up, and I stopped barking.  I tried talking to the Lady again, and the Mommy gave me the "Sush" signal with her hand, which is putting her hand over my mouth.  She told me to let the Lady pet me, and I did.  I liked it.  Her hands were soft.  I started to talk to tell her, but it was more barking. The People don't understand my dog speak.  The Mommy knows some of my words, but some of the other People aren't around me enough.  When the Mommy let me down, I started running to my bed, so I could show the Lady my things.  I wanted to show her my bed and my toys and all of the neat things I play with.  Still, I had to speak to her like dogs do, and she thought I was mad because I was barking.  I wish more People understood my dog speak better.

The Mommy is really good at knowing what my different barks mean.  Like, if I see someone I want to play with, I do two short barks.  The Mommy says it sounds like I am saying, "Hey You, Hey You!" If I'm mad because one of my dog friends walked by and I can't play with them, I will let out a howl.  If there is trouble, and I need the Mommy's attention, I will do a lot of little barks in a row. They sound like, "Help, help, help, there is trouble, trouble.  Help, help, help, there is trouble, trouble."  If some other dog is being mean to me or my People then I do a deep bark and also growl a little.  I hardly ever do that.  When I am excited, I do a high pitched bark.  That's usually when I am excited to meet someone new.

I do that too when I see little kids.  The Mommy always tells me not to bark at the kids.  She says it makes the kids afraid of doggies, and she wants the kids to think I am a nice dog. I want them to think I am a nice dog, too.  I want them to play with me.  I like to run and play.  Still, I don't get too close to the little kids because I don't want to accidentally scratch them or make them afraid of dogs in any way.  I want kids to like all dogs.  Sometimes, the Mommy will say, too, "It's a Baby, Manny." Then, I know not to bark.  I just sit down and let the Baby pass. A Baby is the littlest version of the People.  They are almost the same size as me.

I'm a Healthy Doggy

I had to go see the doggy doctor recently.  I don't mind the doggy doctor. I usually get really excited because I get to see a whole bunch of other animals, mostly dogs like me.  I get to make a bunch of new friends and see how they are with their owners.  Then, I usually get a treat when I am done with the doggy doctor.

The last time, the Mommy put me up on the table.  It was a slippery silver surface.  My legs went out from under me, like I was learning to walk for the first time.  The doggy doctor put a blanket under me so that I could stand up.  I kept looking at the Mommy.  They did all kinds of things and told me that I was fine.  I even got weighed.  It turns out that it's a good thing that I run up and down the stairs and all over the house.  The Mommy also takes me for a lot of walks.  All of that exercise keeps my weight down and keeps me healthy.

I also had to get stuck with sharp pointy things.  I looked at the Mommy when I got stuck with it. One was right in my leg.  It hurt really bad.  It was a big owie.  I even had some blood.  When I saw the Mommy starting to have tears in her eyes, I decided not to cry any more.  I had to be brave for her. I knew if the the Mommy started crying, then I would start crying.  I couldn't have that.

When I was done at the doctor, I came home and got some treats.  The Mommy and the Daddy said they were going to get me a new toy, but they haven't given it to me yet.  I hope it is a good one.  The Mommy always gets me good toys.

I laid down and took a nap with one of my other toys, instead.  I really like my toy, Tommy, and also my favorites are Lambie and Murray. I pretend sometimes that Murray is my little brother.  The Mommy and the Daddy told me they aren't going to be able to get me another little brother until we move somewhere else. I am kind of glad because the other night a big dog came to our back door.  He came right up to our door and wasn't on a leash.  He didn't hurt me or anything.  I think he wanted the Mommy to help him.

I am really looking forward to having a little brother someday.  Maybe I will be the big brother, Manny, or maybe I will be Uncle Manny.  I think they can call me Uncle Manny.  Then, I can show them my doggy ways and how to really love the People as much as the People love me.

I Have Big Dreams

I know I am just a little dog in a medium sized town, but I have big dreams.  I sometimes think it would be fun to be some special dog, like the kind you see in movies or on posters...or on the internet.  The cute dogs that everyone watches their videos over and over again and says, "oh, that's so cute."  Sometimes, I wish that could be me.

I imagine me being in the posters when the Mommy takes me to the groomer, or the groomer asking the Mommy if they can take my picture for their brochure.  I know I would be a handsome dog, and I am really good at having my picture taken.  I have a lot of little expressions.  If you look at me, you can tell I am just totally adorable!

I also thought maybe I could be an actor and play a great part like some of the other famous dogs you see on TV.  Then, I was told that I would have to sit still all day.  I don't know if I can do that on purpose.  I can do it when the Mommy is there, but I don't know if I can do it if I had to.  I heard that those dogs get lots of treats and toys, though.  I definitely would do it for the treats and toys!  I would do anything for that.  Plus, I know I would make the Mommy and Daddy smile and laugh, so I would like that, too.

I heard sometimes, when dogs get famous, they don't get to be real dogs anymore.  People are always stopping wanting to pet them.  They always want to know what you are doing, and they even go by your house just to look at you.  I think that would creep the Mommy out.  She doesn't like people invading her privacy in our house.  That is a no-no.  She is okay if she out walking me.  She likes to show me off to the neighbors how cute I am and what a good dog I am.

I also heard, though, that if you are a big deal with big dreams that you get to travel and go places.  I would love to go on an airplane ride or on a train.  Except I wonder how I would go potty.  That's hard to figure out.  Plus, I have seen on the movies where they put the dogs and cats in cages and make them stay in the bottom of the plane.  That seems scary to me.  I would rather be sitting with the Mommy and the Daddy than in the bottom of the plane with a bunch of cats and dogs I don't know.  It all sounds very exciting.

Still, I am getting some people to notice me through my stories.  I still live in my medium sized town, and a lot of people know who I am.  I don't go out much, but they still pay attention to me and smile whenever they see me.  Having the love of those around me, that's my biggest dream.  I get that every day of my life!

I Have the Fur-Ever Kind of Love

I am so lucky.  I have so many People who love me.  They all love me a lot.  I know that every day that I wake up, they are going to take care of me and be there for me.  They let me outside when I go potty, they give me my food and water, and they always give me lots of hugs.  But, the fur-ever love is more than that.

I feel the Fur-Ever love in the mornings when the Mommy wakes up and smiles at me, and says, "Hey Manny."  I feel it when she says good morning to my favorite upstairs toy, Murray.  I feel it when we come downstairs and sometimes I don't want to go out and go potty.  The Mommy then goes outside first to show me that it warm enough for dogs and potties.  I feel the love when the Mommy lets me sit on her lap when she is working.  I feel it when she plays with me in the living room, sings to me, dances with me, and talks to me.  I feel it when she lets me lay on her lap at night when I am watching TV with the People.

Another way I can feel the Mommy's fur-ever love is in the way she talks to me.  She makes sure that I am a good doggie, and she tells me when I am a good doggie and when I am a naughty doggie.  I try to be a good dog all the time, but sometimes I do thinks I shouldn't do.  Like one day, I went upstairs and started playing with the toilet paper roll, and the toilet paper was all over the bathroom.  The Mommy tries to get mad at me, and says "Manny, that is naughty!" She ends up laughing some too, though.  She thought it was funny to see toilet paper all over the bathroom.

The Mommy lets me sleep with her in the bed, too.  That's another way I can tell she loves me.  She treats me like I am part of her pack.  She doesn't make me sit by myself in one room unless I want to. Since I have gotten older, I have started playing upstairs by myself.  The Mommy doesn't care.  It's my way of telling her, too, that I know that I am safe when she is around, and I am comfortable playing anywhere.

Sometimes, I will come down the stairs and put my face between the railing to say, the Mommy, please come upstairs and play with me.  She will sometimes come upstairs, but usually she tells me to come downstairs.  Then, I run around the living room and play with my downstairs toys.  Mostly I know the Mommy loves me because of the look in her eyes she gives me.  She talks about me on Facebook, Twitter, and Pinterest, too.  I am always on her mind.  I don't care that she talks about me, because I am her dog, I am part of her pack, and mostly I am part of her family. I know that she loves me fur-ever, too.