My New Year's Resolutions

I am so excited it is 2017.  I have so many great plans and ideas in store for this year.  I know that it is going to be the Year of Manny. In order to make sure it is, I came up with a bunch of New Year's Resolutions to make this the best year ever.

1. Give more hugs and kisses to the People.  The People can never get too many hugs and kisses from me.  I think that is just impossible.  Instead, I should give them more so they will know how much I love them.

2. Exercise every day.  Some days, I get really lazy, especially when it is cold outside.  Then, I like to lay around and watch TV and take naps all day long.  For instance, today, I ran up and down the stairs a lot of times.  That was mostly because the Mommy kept calling me, "Manny, Manny!" Then, I would go running down the stairs.

3. Eat more fruits and vegetables.  I like fruits and vegetables, especially apples, oranges, and potatoes.  I don't like grapes, and it isn't only because it's a no-no food for dogs.  They smell weird to me. The People ate grapes to make their "New Year's Wishes." I was like, "None for me, thanks." To me grapes are like little mini water filled balloons made by nature with really thin skins.  I could eat a whole bag of grapes and still be hungry but then have to go potty in half an hour.  No thanks. No grapes for me.

4. Play with more dogs and play with fewer cats. Okay, so here is the confession part of my New Year's Resolution. I play with cats...a lot.  There are a bunch of cats who like to hang around my neighborhood.  I pay attention to them because they are semi-interesting, and I get bored.  Plus, I think it's funny when their owners get all freaked out that their cat is sitting by me.  Like I am going to hurt a cat.  Get serious.  I am roughly the same size as a house cat. Still, I prefer dogs over cats.  Except for the neighbor's German Shepherds.  I don't like them.  They are too big for me to play with. A German Shepherd to a Rat Terrier is like a shark to....well, almost every other fish...except dolphins, whales and manatees.

5. Be less of a mooch.  Sometimes, the People call me Manny the Mooch.  That's because I sit in front of them and give them my sad dog eyes and lift my paw and cock my head in this cute way to get attention (and food) from them.  At the dinner table, I usually sit by the Mommy because I know that is where I have the greatest chance of getting some People food.  She doesn't like feeding me off the table too much, though.  She has caught me a few times trying to get to the meat that she serves for dinner, so she doesn't want to encourage that behavior.  That's what she says.  And, sometimes, I'm not even doing anything, but it's like she can tell what I'm thinking.  She will say, "Manny, I don't know what you are doing, but stop doing it!" Boy, has she saved me from getting in a lot of trouble...because I do like to do naughty things some times.  It's in my doggy nature.

Mother Nature is Mean!

I heard there is a Mommy that is bigger than all the Mommies in the world.  Her name is Mother Nature.  She is the Mommy over the whole entire earth!  That is a big deal.  She is in charge of all of the animals, the forests, the trees, the grass, the butterflies, and the weather.  I always thought she was a nice lady, but today I think she is mean.

Here is why Mother Nature is mean.  Last night, when I went outside to go potty, it was snowing really hard.  It was blowing right in my face. They look like little snowflakes to the People, but they were big to me. Some of those snowflakes hit me right in the face.  I had to keep blinking just to keep the snow out of my eyes.  The ground was getting frozen, too.  It was so cold.  That's one time I really hate being a dog...when I have to do my business outside.  Fortunately, I was able to get nice and warm and toasty by the fire when I came in.  The Daddy is amazing and makes fires in the fireplace. I love the fires.  I sit in front of them and get all warm.  In fact, right now, I am watching him make one.

This morning, Mother Nature was even meaner.  She must have been in  really bad mood last night.  I waited to go outside to potty until really late, and it was super cold outside.  The ground was frozen and the Mommy at my house said the temperature was below zero.  I'm not really sure what that means, except that it's so cold that my fur was getting frozen when I went potty.  There was snow on the ground so my paws got wet.  I was shaking so bad that I could hardly go to the bathroom.  The Mommy set a timer for 2 minutes on the clock to make sure I wasn't outside very long.  I came back inside before the 2 minutes were even up.  It was scary cold.

Mother Nature must be feeling a little better today, though.  The sun is starting to shine and everything looks pretty again.  No more sideways snow blowing in my face.  That was mean.  I think she gets unhappy because sometimes people forget that Mother Nature is in charge of the earth, and they don't take care of what she gives them.  I like all the trees and flowers, and snow, too....especially when it starts melting!

The Neighborhood Dogs

I am so lucky! I have so many great dogs that are neighbors. I  like the other dogs who live on our street.  There are a lot of cute little dogs.  One ran right by our door one day.  The Mommy saw her run by, and the Mommy followed her all the way up the street to see where she lived.  The other People said the Mommy is a good neighbor.

We have some good neighbors.  A lot of them have dogs, and I am friends with the dogs.  I pretty much like all the dogs in our neighborhood.  I even played with big dogs, like a labrador.

Some of the neighbors don't have dogs. Sometimes, little kids will try to pet me.  They always tell the Mommy that I am cute. When they come up to pet me, I hide behind the Mommy.  I admit I am kind of scared of little kids.  If they are really careful and the Mommy shows me they are safe, I will let them pet me.  Little kids can be scary to me because I don't know what they are going to do. If they move really slowly and are gentle, I know that I can trust them.

Think Like a Dog!

The other day I heard this song playing on the radio, and they kept saying "Walk Like a Man."  I thought it was silly.  What else is a man going to walk like if he doesn't walk like a man? A cat? A squirrel? A rabbit? The People are weird sometimes with the things they say and do.

Here is one thing that the People do all the time. The People use their computers for work and for fun and to send messages with each other.  I think it is cool that they can use their computers to work and to send messages back and forth.  We dogs do that, too.  It's just that our communication styles have been developed over thousands of years, so people don't understand it as quickly.  Sometimes, I communicate with the neighbor dog just by the way I lift my leg when I pee.  Or a little sniff I give her.  I communicate with the cats with a look or a nudge of my head.  I hate to say it, but cats are smart, too.  But, we dogs are a lot better communicators.  We can even understand human-speak and try to make our communication match theirs.  That's how smart we are.

Anyway, back to what I was saying about the computers.  The People use them all the time.  The Mommy uses her computer all the time.  She even uses it to help me write this blog.  She works on it a lot of hours during the day, too.  She sits at her desk.  Sometimes, I hit her hand or arm with my paw and say, "Play with me, not the computer." Sometimes, I come sit by her.  I think she is lonely, so I go sit by her.  That's one way people need to think more like dogs.  If they see someone else sitting by herself, they should go sit by her.  The People don't want to admit it, but they are pack animals, too.  Just like us dogs.  None of the People likes to be alone.  That's why they have cities and houses to live in.  They need to be together.

The People use their computers to play, too.   I have a Twitter, and my dog friends are never mean to me. Everyone just plays and has fun.  My Twitter is @MannyRatTerrier. Some dogs tell about their troubles, and some doggies share pictures, and some doggies just talk.  But, we all get along.  The People need to think and act more like dogs.  They shouldn't be mean to people on Fakebook and the Twitter.

I heard some of the People even try to pretend to be other People.  That's weird to me.  I could never pretend to be another dog.  All dogs have their own special smells.  So, let's say one of these two schnauzer brothers from down the street try to trick me, I won't be fooled.  I will know which one is which just by sniffing him.  Sometimes, you can smell them even if you don't get close.  The People are the same way.  They have their own smells.  And, just so the People know, they stink a lot, too. They use so many perfumes, and they all get mixed together. Then, they eat food.  The People are weird.  I have to admit, though, I would like to smell like bacon more.  And, I like to roll in the grass to get the grass smell all over me.  Then, the Mommy says, "Oh, Manny! You stink!" I just do my little doggy laugh.

I could go on and on and talk about how the People should think more like dogs.  But, I've already had my "Hello, World" wake up time and ate my breakfast.  That means it's time for my morning nap.

Car Rides

It's starting to get cold out, so I haven't been for as many car rides.  I used to go for a lot of rides in the Mommy's car.  She has something called a Pontiac.  It is a big car.  I like it because I have lots of room in the back seat where I can lay down.  I try to be a good dog and lay there, but I can't resist putting my head out the window.

When the Mommy takes me to get my doggy bath, I get to go for a car ride.  I get to go at least every six weeks.  Then, I put my head out the window and let the wind blow me in the face.  It is so much fun.  I put my paws up on the window, and I stick my head out a little.  All the People driving by smile at me.  I can hear them saying sometimes, "Look at that cute little doggy."

We used to take car rides to the dog park, too.  The Mommy only takes me there some times.  If she takes me to get exercise, she likes to go for exercise, too.  That is why she usually takes me to the park.  We went to the park today.  It was windy and chilly.  I'm glad that I had my fur to keep me warm. Still, I couldn't wait to get home and snuggle up with my blanket and my toys.

The Mommy says she may not have the Pontiac for much longer.  She says she is going to buy herself a new car this year.  The Daddy wants her to get something called a Nissan, but she doesn't know what she wants yet.  I just know that I want to be able to go for rides in it.  When the Daddy got his new car, I wasn't allowed to ride in it as much.  He said he was worried that I would get hairs on it. So, I mostly go for car rides in the Mommy's car now.

Whenever I go for car rides, I feel very special.  I know that something special is about to happen for me.  We used to go for long car rides to Iowa to see the Mommy's Mommy and Daddy and their dog, Bubby.  Bubby went to the Rainbow Bridge, though, and I don't see him any more.  We don't go to Iowa, either, for some reason.  Now, I mostly go to the groomer with the Mommy and sometimes she will drive me to the park.  She loves having me around and she calls me her Best Friend.  I'm glad because the Mommy is my best friend, too.

Thanks for Turkey Day is Coming!

I am so excited.  One of my favorite holidays is coming up this week.  It's called Thanks for Turkey Day!  I love it so much.  I know it's coming because I saw the Mommy coming back from the store with lots of groceries.  They were the special kind of groceries, too.  I kept sitting there waiting for my treats, and she said, "No, it's not for  you, Manny."  That was my clue, too.  She gets me treats a lot.

What happens on Thanks for Turkey Day?  I will tell you.  First, the Mommy gets up early in the morning.  She gets up early every morning, but she also gets up early on Thanks for Turkey Day. First, she makes some kind of special breakfast.  This year she is going to make banana pancakes with chocolate chunks.  At least that's what I have decided.  I will get my own Manny pancake, but it can't have any chocolate in it.  The Daddy maybe will have some, too.  He has to go to work on Thanks for Turkey Day.  I guess some people like to eat at a restaurant instead of staying home.  I wish they would stay home, so the Daddy can be home with me and my Family.

After breakfast, the Mommy likes to watch this big parade. It is on the TV.  The parade has all kinds of things like singing, dancing, people playing these big horns, horses, and even these giant animals floating through the sky.  The giant animals are kind of scary if you ask me.  One of them is black and white dog like me.  They say he is over 40 stories high.  Oh my goodness!  I hope he never tries to get me.  I might have an accident.  The Mommy loves this parade, and that's is what gets her all excited for Thanks for Turkey Day.

Some time during the parade, the Mommy starts her Thanks for Turkey Day cooking.  This is my favorite part!  I love it when the Mommy cooks.  I always stand right by her just in case she wants to give me a taste of...just about anything.  The Mommy cooks all kinds of yummy foods. She cooks bread, potatoes (I can eat those), cranberries, green beans (never tried one), pineapple, cheese ball, desserts, and, of course, turkey.  My mouth is watering just thinking about it!  Sometimes, I get a special treat on Thanks for Turkey Day because the Mommy feels guilty.  She thinks I should get something because the People all get to eat something special.

After all the cooking, the People all get together and eat.  Some years they eat at our house, and then some years they go to other people's houses.  I have been to their houses before, too.  I like their houses.  Before they all eat, they say Thanks for Turkey and other things they are thankful for. I don't know how they do it, because I would be thanking for hours.  I guess, though, I am mostly thankful for the Mommy, the Daddy, my yard, my animal friends, and all of the hugs and kisses and love I get every day.

Dingus Jones 00Bones

I have a secret to tell you.  I have a secret identity.  In my spare time, I am a detective.  My name is Dingus Jones 00Bones.  I solve mysteries with clues I sniff out with my nose.  Being a cute little white dog is just my cover up.

This week, I am investigating the Case of the Missing Bone.  The Mommy gave me a bone for a special treat, and it went missing.  I am on a mission to discover where it is hidden, who hid it, and why.

I first looked in the chairs in the living room.  Sometimes, I hide the bones there, because the People would never think to look where they sit.  Except, sometimes, the Mommy and Daddy sit on the bone, and they say, "Manny!" Then, they put the bone in my toy basket.  I looked in the toy basket, and the bone was not there.

Then, I looked behind the chairs.  Sometimes, I put my bones there.  The Mommy usually leaves them until she runs the big scary vacuum that makes a lot of noise.  When she vacuums, she finds my bones and my other toys that are hidden.  She usually puts them back in my toy basket.  If they are really old, though, she throws them in the trash.  I sniffed the trash can and no bone.

Other times, I will hide my bone underneath my bed.  The Mommy made me a bed out of memory foam and she made the cover of it with her own two hands! The Mommy is really smart and can do lots of really neat things.  Sometimes, I put my bone under my bed like I am playing the Prince and the Pea.  I turned my bed over with my nose, and the bone wasn't there, either.

Then, I went upstairs and looked in the Mommy and the Daddy's bedroom.  I like to take my toys up there, too.  That way I know that they are very safe.  I put them by my blanket or behind the big chair. I looked there, and there was no bone.

I went back downstairs and started sniffing around the living room.  I knew the bone was there.  But, where was it.  I couldn't see it anywhere.  Then, the Mommy came in the living room and sat down in the chair to read a book.  I remembered where I put it.  It was UNDER the Mommy's chair.  I solved the mystery. And, I got a tasty treat when I solved it!