Training the Puppy - Lesson #3 Know Your Place In the Pack

Since Meaty has been feeling under the weather this week, I will go over lesson #3 with you: Know your place in the pack.

I am sure your dog-mom, Mia, taught you what a pack was. You are part of our pack now and we need to make sure you know your place.

Grandma says Meaty is the "king". He likes that title alot. I think it has kind of gone to his head a bit. Oh well, he is first, #1, the leader (but only because I wasn't here at the start. I have great leadership qualities, you know.)

Grandma says that I am "prince". Auntie sometimes calls me the "jester". I like "prince" better. And I am #2. I think I am really more like #1.5!! And if only I had started in the pack to begin with rather than wasting 3 years somewhere else, I know things would be different, but no matter. Meaty is our lead-guy. And I am a close 1.5!

You probably haven't learned to count yet, but that makes you #3 (#1, #1.5, #3 - yes, that sounds right!). We haven't decided on a descriptive title for you yet. I hear grandma calling you "squirt" now and then. I bet this is because sometimes you squirt on her rug! Let's just make one thing clear ... I am the king of squirting on rugs and walls and cars and children who are sitting still outside ... so find another skill, cause I am king of that one!

Yours Truly,

Grimace

King of Squirting

Mama’s Souvenir

“I wonder if I can grow fangs when my baby teeth fall out.”
Calvin & Hobbes

My mama says it’s pretty rare to get a baby tooth as a keepsake. I don’t know about that, I have a belly full of teeth!

So I’ve heard there’s some chick in a fairy outfit who’s supposed to come visit me? Sounds kinda creepy, but if I get a present that’s pretty cool. I hope she has cookies!

Meathead said I should ask for a 60in. LED HDTV with surround sound. Ummmm, I not sure what that means.

Oh well…I’ll leave my tooth under ducky for safe keeping.

Milo :)

Training the Puppy - Lesson #2 Adore your person

Meathead and I think you already have lesson #2 under your belt, uhh ... under your navel, no wait - under your chest - dang! You know what I mean - you got this part down already, but it is worth mentioning because this is the one I am really good at.

Adoring your person is pretty darn important. Besides the fact they pay for everything and they do everything for you ... they love you! And you, my little man, are exceeding lucky because you don't have just one person who loves you, you have a whole family of people who think you are grand.

Meathead has his papa, I have my grandma (ok, I share her, but no one adores her like me) and you have your mama!

Lesson #2 - Adore your mother - we can see that she adores you!

See ya later!

Grimace

PS - ok, ok, technically papa pays for everything for me, but I adore grandma! Its an unusual relationship but it works for us.

Training the puppy - Lesson #1 Be Cool

Grimace and I agree - a dry crate is the first step in keeping your mom happy. There are other qualities you need to work on as well.

Self control for example. Bulging eyes - at any time, are really un-cool. That is especially true when Grandma is snapping picture after picture. Avoid any photographic evidence of un-cool behavior (and that can be a challenge because lately she has that stupid camera with her all the time. How many pictures of dogs does one woman need?)

Remember - lesson #1 - Be cool!

Sincerely,

Meathead

Big news with the Big M!

I'm a big boy, I'm a big boy!!! I have very exciting news! For the first time today I didn't pee in my crate! I'm not the baby I once was (despite what my cousins say); look at my baby pic...dang I was cute!

My mama was so excited she did the happy dance! I didn't think it was a big deal, but then I saw my mom frolicking around the room like a banshee! I mean...I could have done this weeks ago to make her happy.

Oh well, will I hold it tomorrow? Hmmmm, I'll check back with ya.

Milo :)

Milo, the New Kid on the Block

Hi!

I’m Milo and I’m the new kid on the block. I am 4 months old. I love cookies, the dog park, sleeping with my bunny, chasing butterflies, cookies, chewing on bones, going for walks, cookies, barking at ants, sleeping on the couch, chasing squirrels, wait …I need to catch my breath. Did I forget to say cookies? Oh yes most importantly, I love my mama. She loves telling me she spent big bucks on me, she says it all the time (whatever that means!).

I don’t have a nickname yet. I think my mama just likes my name; she says it all the time. “Milo stop doing this, Milo listen to me, Milo stop chewing on the electrical cord, Milo, Milo, Milo…” GOSH, I heard you the first time! But I digress…

My story is short and sweet. I was born into a home of several cats and dogs. Since I was the last puppy left, I would go with my breeder to work. I had gotten used to my current home; I had lots of friends to play with. Until one day a lady, aka “mama”, came and took me away. I was very scared. I even threw up in my crate the first night. This is when I learned mama freaks out when something is wrong with me. I knew sleeping in the crate at night would soon be a distant memory.

You see, I am a very smart boy. My family says I’m a puppy, but I’m really a big boy. Well…I can’t reach the cookie jar yet, but give me time. All I had to do was eat EVERYTHING on the ground and I got a stomach ache. Like always, my mama freaked and let me sleep in her bed. The diarrhea was no fun, but I sleep in a comfy bed now!

So I’m working the system and my life here is pretty sweet! I don’t even remember the home I came from really. I have a cool dog park behind my house; my mama takes me there every day. I get to run with my big dog friends and have fun. Everyone yells “Milo!” when they see me coming, well not my dog friends – they just sniff my butt.

My new families pretty great too! I have my mama, grandma, Uncle Matt, MoMo, and the man who lives with grandma (that’s what Grimace calls him). Mama says I have other family I need to meet too, I’m very excited!

OMG (I learned that on the internet), I almost forgot Meathead and Grimace! They’re my cousins, which you’ve already met I’m sure. My mama and grandma say I’m a lot like Meathead, I hope so - he’s soooooo cool!!! Anyways, they’re teaching me lots of fun tricks: walking down stairs, how to beg for cookies and peeing with one leg up. Sometimes I get the feeling I annoy them, oh well I’m sure that’s not the case! I’m a puppy, who wouldn’t love me!

Oops, mama’s calling – time for breakfast! Talk to you soon! Oh and if you have any comments on our blog let me know - I'm all ears!!

Milo :)

Grimace, the Captain

My name is Captain Grimace Robert Geronimo Shanks, ... the first!

I answer to Grim or Grimmy for short - having a long, commanding name like mine - you have to have a short version. But my name history is alittle more complicated than my companions. My first three years of life were spent living with my brother in another family. I don't remember much of those years, so my life really began when I came to live with papa. I should probably back up and explain.

In my first home I was called Bud and my brother was called Lite. (Yeah - "Bud" - no one is going to remember you with a name like "Bud".) My brother and I didn't receive much care. They fed us and they kept a roof over our heads, but when I left that home I was grossly overweight and my ears were swollen with infection. Thankfully they gave us to Pug Rescue so we could get better and move on. I was with a wonderful Foster Mother for exactly one month. Papa found my picture on Pet Finders - apparently the bull dog wasn't enough for him (despite what you might read in other postings on this blog), and the rest is history.

By the time Papa adopted me, I slimmed down and my ears were healed. I looked buff. My first night in my new home was pretty much a mad house of celebration - apparently the bull dog wasn't enough for anyone - despite what you read in other postings on this blog. There was Meathead and Papa and MoMo, of course, but there was also a lady called "grandma" - I bonded with her pretty fast. And then there was a person called "auntie", she was very sweet and loving, and there was the man who lives with grandma - that is what I call him to this day "the man who lives with grandma". Soon after Papa changed my name to Grimace.

Life has been next to perfect ever since. I live in two places now - Papa's and grandma's. If I had to choose just one (and why would I - how many dogs have 2 homes), I would choose to live with my Grandma. She doesn't have her own dog (despite what her neighbors think - they believe she has 3 dogs) and she dotes on me! And I am good with the doting!

And with regards to my regal name ... I have no frick'en idea how it got so long or so impressive. Must be the force of my magnificant personality - (despite what you might read in other postings on this blog!!)

Meathead - the "main man"

Hello,

My name is Meathead. I am also called Meaty, Juicy or Juice, the Meaters, and Meathead Agustus (sometimes my grandma calls me the King). My papa is a Marine (discharged in the 90's) - and the English Bull Dog is the Marines mascot - and "meathead" is a term marines use with each other ... go figure! So it all fits together. And the names Juicy or Juice? - Well all well bred bulldogs drool. And I am most certainly well bred!

I came first. My papa bought me I was just 3 months old. I was pretty scared the first night with papa, but rapidly - like by the next day - I realized I had landed in "lollipop land". I had a papa, a grandma, an auntie and a MoMo (my papa's girlfriend). Life was sweet.

And those early years were happy days. I was the main attraction and didn't have to share the spot light with anyone. And I could eat McDonald's french fries, taste wine, got good cookies from the table, went for walks by a lake with my grandma where we ate cookies on a bench (yes, I sat on the bench beside my grandma. That was before I realized that bulldogs like me don't like walking - I stopped that pretty quickly.) Those were the days!

Somewhere along the line, my papa decided I was lonely and needed company. I don't know where he got that idea. Must have been some sort of language translation fall out. I probably asked for a new toy and he thought I said a new boy, and he got a Pug. It has gone downhill ever since.

Anyway, as you can see, I am now one of 3 (the slope is a slippery one), but I am the one in charge! I am the King. I am the leader. I am the main man. And I am interested in only one thing ... sleep. Do not get in my way when I am heading for the couch. Do not let the puppy loose when I am snoozing. Do not get another dog unless you are absolutely sure ... that is what is requested.

Just remember who the king is!

Your friend,

Meathead.

Hello and welcome to our blog!

We are three very wonderfully handsome, smart dogs. We look forward to introducing you to us over the next few weeks. We hope you will visit us regularly, because we have much on our minds to share.

To begin with, we had a heart-to-heart talk with our grandmother. We discovered that she was using our pictures and thoughts more and more on her new blog (http://mynext20yearsofliving.blogspot.com). Of course, this was natural since we are so charming, but we thought it had gone just too far. So capitalizing on our good looks and appealing personalities, we decided to (drum roll here!) launch our own blog.

Besides, grandma needs to make a success of her blog based on her own merits. No more tagging on our coat-tails (even if our coats and tails are pretty dog-gone fabulous). We need to have total editorial control. And we will make an occasional guest appearance on her blog, but we are ready to strike out on our own.

Hope you will join us and be a follower at our new location:

http://granddogdiaries.blogspot.com

We need to keep this brief. Time's a-wasting! Our schedules are pretty tight today ... photo shoots, proofing content, maybe a manicure ... and we need to check out the cookie inventory. See ya later!

Chow,

Meathead, Grimace, and Milo