It's the Mommy's Day!

Today is a day called Mommy's Day!  It is all over the United States.  Every single State in the country has Mommy's Day.  The People who live by the ocean, the mountains and even in the desert are celebrating Mommy's Day. 

I spent most of my day today with the Mommy. The Mommy and I slept in really late today.  She didn't even get up until 10:30 in the morning.  That's not like her.  She usually wakes up really early like at 5:30 or 6:00 in the morning.  Then, she lays in bed and checks her phone or waits for the Daddy to wake up. After the Mommy woke up, she went outside and drank her coffee.  I played with her for a little while. I like playing with the Mommy because she laughs and makes things fun.  The Mommy likes to do things outside and likes to play with my toys with me.  We always have a blast together!

After we played outside, the Mommy took a really long bath. She listened to music while she took a bath. She said it was really relaxing.  I'm glad because the Mommy works hard at home all the time. She does a lot at home even though some People may not realize it.  She has to cook breakfast and dinner, do the laundry, wash the dishes, take out the trash, clean the house, take care of me, take care of the Daddy, and all of these other little things that I can't even remember. The Mommy is a busy lady.  Then, she has her job, too.  This week she had days off from her "job", but she still had to do her job at home.  I'm glad she had a relaxing bath.

After her bath, the Mommy played a game on her phone and cleaned up around the house.  That's what she does.  Even when she tries relaxing, she still has to do something at home. It's like she just can't sit still until everything is just right. Now, the Mommy is helping me write about how much I love her and how special she is to me.  I love spending time with her.  I have had a good time having the Mommy all to myself today.

Tonight, the Mommy said she is going to make herself pork chops for dinner!  I love pork chops...but the Mommy and the Daddy won't let me have any.  They always tell me that I am not allowed to eat pork.  She is also going to make mashed potatoes and corn.  It's one of my favorite meals, and one of the Mommy's favorite meals, too.  Maybe she will let me have some...but I doubt it.  Still, getting to sit beside the Mommy while she is here today and spending time with her is the best part.  I love the Mommy so much, and I am so thankful and grateful for all she does for me.

I'm A Busy Dog

Hey, everybody!  I have been so busy that I forgot to write last week.  In case you didn't know it, last weekend was my birthday!  It was the same day as tax day.  I'm not a tax deduction, though, because I'm not a real boy.  The People always treat me like I am a big part of the family, though.

I didn't do anything really special on my birthday this year.  Instead, I am doing a lot of little special things after my birthday.  I have been getting to go for car rides, taking walks, playing with other dogs, playing with the Mommy and the Daddy.  There is a lot going on for me.

The day after my birthday was Easter.  That is the day that we celebrate Jesus and the Easter Bunny. I'm not really sure what the Easter Bunny has to do with Jesus.  I'm confused about that one.  I also am wondering why the Easter Bunny has eggs in his basket.  That is strange to me.  Anyway, I tried to catch the Easter Bunny.  I woke up bright and early.  I thought I even heard him coming into my house.  I ran downstairs as fast as I could.  The Mommy was even laughing at me. When I got to the kitchen where I thought the Easter Bunny was, guess what I found? The Daddy taking things out of bags that the Mommy gets from the store.  I was like, "Where is the Easter Bunny?" The Mommy just laughed at me.

The rest of the week I have been busy, too, because it is Spring Time.  Spring is an important time for me.  I walk around and play outside, and it's time for the animals in the neighborhood to say "hello" to each other.  We don't get to see each other as much in the winter.  Some of the cats and dogs don't come out when it is cold.  We also got a new girl dog in our neighborhood.  She is super cute.  It made me want a little brother or sister even more.  I have been dreaming about having a play mate.

The Mommy and the Daddy have always taken really good care of me and loved me lots.  They make me feel so special and like I am such a great part of the family.  Every morning, I get to see their faces first thing.  At night time, I even take my toys to the People's bed. That way, I can give the toys to the People if they need something to snuggle with.

Today, we had lots of visitors.  I get really excited and bark.  I always think everyone is coming here just to play with me.  The Mommy says, "of course, they are!"

Cats At The Door

I think I have admitted before that I like cats.  I do.  I like them as long as they are not bothering me or interfering with my lifestyle.  They hang around me a lot when I go outside to go potty.  I think it's funny, because there is a chance they might get in the way of me going potty.  I go potty whether the cats are there or not.  Today, one of them walked right up to the door and was looking in at the Mommy.  It was a case of a peeping Tom Cat.

The cats in my neighborhood don't usually look in the back door at the Mommy. They usually hang out on the patio and sit on the Mommy's chairs.  One time, there was cats sitting in all the outside chairs the People usually sit in.  I started jumping on the door to let the Mommy know.  I wanted her to tell those cats that those were the Mommy's chairs.  I tried telling the cats, but they aren't very good listeners sometimes.

Lately, there are these cats that keep hanging out in the front yard by the front door.  That is where I draw the line.  I cannot have cats looking at the People and me in the front door.  By the front door is the place where we sleep and watch TV.  Sleeping and watching TV are two of my favorite hobbies, and I can't have cats interrupting me.  Also, the cats are blocking my view of the squirrels.  I have to keep my eye on the squirrels, too.  Some days, I swear the squirrels are throwing acorns at me on purpose.

When the cats come up to the door in the front, I look down and bark at them and tell them to go away.  Then, I start sniffing at the bottom of the door.  I am trying to make sure they aren't trying to sneak their cat paws under the door. Once those cats get a paw inside the door, they think they can bring their whole bodies inside the door.  I told the cats they cannot hang around the front door. The front door is the People door only.  The Mommy hardly ever lets me go out the front door, either, unless I am on a leash.

One time, I went one foot out the front door and was barking at the mailman, and the Mommy was standing right there.  I was standing right outside the house, right next to the Mommy, and one of the neighbors called the dog catcher on me.  I wasn't even a foot away from my front door! I thought that person was really mean. The neighbor dogs run up and down the street without a leash all the time. Those big German Shepherds come into my yard all the time, still, too.  I even saw the owner walking one of them without a leash down the street.  I don't think I was treated fairly.  At least I got to stay with the Mommy. That's another story for another day.

Anyway, if I can't go out the front door, then no cats can come in the front door. When I go out the back door, I am on my leash.  I am okay with that, though, because the Mommy makes sure I can move with the leash.  It isn't too restricting, but it keeps me in my yard.  When the weather is nice like today, the Mommy goes outside and plays with me while I am on my leash.  Sometimes, she sits on the patio in the chairs.  I jump on her lap, and she pets me.

I Like Things Tidy

I have to admit, I like things a certain way.  The Mommy sometimes calls me an OCD dog.  I have to point out to her whenever anything is out of place.  The Mommy keeps things picked up around here a lot. I help her, too, whenever I can by telling her something is out of place.

When the People take out the trash, they take the plastic bag out and then put it in the big trash can outside.  Sometimes, when the People come back in or before they leave, they don't put another plastic bag in the trash can.  Then, someone throws some trash in there, and it gets stinky really fast. I notice because my doggy nose is sensitive to smells like that.  When I notice there isn't a plastic bag, I tell the Mommy.  I go pat her on the arm, and go sniff at the trash can and then go pat on her arm again.  She understands my hints like that.

Another thing I will do is tell the Mommy if there is a door that is open that shouldn't be open.  As a little dog, sometimes it isn't that safe for me to have doors open to closets or cabinets.  Like if the cabinet where the Mommy keeps my dog food is open, I tell her right away.  I don't want anyone else getting my dog food.  If the cabinets in the kitchen are open, I tell her, too.  I don't want to smell the cleaning supplies and looking at all the dishes just makes me think of food and makes me hungry.  I also tell the Mommy when the closet door where my leash and clothes are kept is open.  I go and sniff the door, and then I go walk up to the Mommy and nod my head.  That is my signal to her to follow me.  She follows me, and I sniff at the door until she closes it.  I'm glad she knows my signals, because when I sniff at the closed door and look over my shoulder at her, that is a hint to her that I want to go outside.

I also tell the Mommy if I made a mess.  Like the other day, I was playing with Tommy Llama and his stuffing came out. I didn't mean to do it.  It was an accident.  Whenever I do something naughty, though, I tell the Mommy right away.  Then, she is usually less mad at me.  I jumped up and tapped her on her leg until she followed me, and then I walked behind her chair.  I showed her that the stuffing was all over the floor.  I gave her Tommy Llama and gave her my look that says, "Fix it, Mommy." After that, she lets me know that she understood, because she says, "Okay, Manny. Mommy will fix it."

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!