Catching Up

Junie hanging by mom's desk

Everyone has been sick around here.  Mom, one of the Girls, the Littlest Boy was taken to the ER the other night with something wrong with his eye.  It looked like it hurt a lot.

Tis the season mom says.

I'm healthy.

Mom says I've put on a couple of pounds.  I noticed that some of my clothes weren't fitting right.  The Velcro would completely pop open or mom couldn't get it fastened.  Mom said I weighed 6 lbs when I came to live with them and she thinks I am up to 8 or so now.  She said we'll know for sure what I weigh after my next vet visit.  She gave most of my clothes away on reuseit to another couple of dogs that wanted to stay warm in the snow.  She held on to my dresses hoping she could fix them so they'd fit me again but then decided she'd just get me new dresses.  She gave those to the chihuahua upstairs though she doesn't really look like she'd fit into them.  Her mom said she weighs 3 lbs right now and isn't going to get a lot bigger.  And I thought I was small.

With the cold weather I've been taking off to use the girls' room instead of going outside.  I know it frustrates mom but it's soooooo cold out there.  She takes me out and we stand and we stand and we stand and look at it each other.  After 10 minutes she decides I'm not going to go.  We come in, she watches me, and watches me, and watches me.  When she finally takes her eyes off of me I sneak into the girls' room.  She knows when the girls yell, MOM!  Junie pooped in our room.  Tattletales.

Mom's been taking me out every hour but man, I hate the snow.  I have a puppy pad on the porch but it's still cold.  I cannot wait until the snow melts and I can go back out on the grass again.

Other than that, it's been more of the same.  I've been spending a lot of time barking lately now that I found my voice.  Mom laughs when I actually think there's a threat and I bark from under that.  She doesn't laugh when I'm barking at midnight from the safety of my bed.  She's afraid that the neighbors will call the apartment manager or that I will wake up one of the kids but I can't help it.  When I hear something I have to let everyone know.  You never know what it could be.  Isn't that what every good dog does?

On the plus side, my ear infection seems to be gone finally.  Mom has been using Vet's Best Ear Relief Wash & Dry and giving me acidophilus.  Huge difference.  No smelly ears.  No major licking.  No tilting my head from side to side.  I feel much better.

We're going to get to work tweeting out some news stories about animals.  If you aren't following me on Twitter yet, please do.  I'm @Junie_Be.

Junie says to check out - Housetraining For Dummies

What Is This White Stuff?

Junie And The Oldest Girl

Mom says that it's snow.  I don't think I have ever stepped in snow before. (Puppy mill dog, remember?  Lived in a cage for years.)  It snowed for the first time the other day.  Real snow.  Not just the flurries that wetted down the grass and made me not want to step in it.  A whole bunch of it that covered the grass, covered the porch, covered everywhere I like to go when I go outside.  So not thrilled.

Mom shoveled a spot on the porch and put a puppy pad out there so I wouldn't have to go out into the snow to do my thing but I didn't like that either for the first few days.  I snuck off to the girls' room and did it in there.  Mom was persistent though and kept taking me out and putting me on the puppy pad.  She kept a good eye on me, saying Junie.....every time she saw me heading to the girls' room.  I can't help myself, when she says my name I have to stop what I'm doing and go to her.  It's a trick I tell you.  She says my name then she would scoop me up and put me on that puppy pad outside.  It was so cold out.  It still is.  I finally gave in and started using the puppy pad.  Then I started sneaking off behind the grill to go in the rocks on the porch.  She'd stop me by just saying my name again and I'd head back to the pad.

After a few days of this, I did start investigating that cold white stuff.

Junie investigating the snow for the first time

I'm not saying I like it but I found it it was safe to run around in for a few seconds to get a little exercise.  Then I jet towards the door and hope someone opens it quickly so I don't have to sit around in the cold and wait for them to open it.  I have found it's safe to go out in it after it's been packed down by the kids running around in it.  If I venture out into the fluffier stuff, I sink.

Sinking is not cool.  It makes my tummy cold and wet.  I don't like to be cold and wet.

I also found a new sleeping spot at night.  My bed is right beside my mom's bed, but she finally moved it after I insisted on sleeping up against this long white thing that blows out hot air in her room.  She moved my bed in front of it so I could sleep near the hot air but not against it.  She said she was worried it would be too hot for me.  She checked it multiple times and it doesn't get so hot that it burns you, but she still worries about me being right up against it.

It feels so good though.  It's enough to have my bed up next to it.  I stay warm all night long.  I'd be warmer if she'd let me sleep in her bed next to her but she says that's too dangerous.  The youngest boy sleeps in bed with mom and dad and he flails a lot at night.  She's afraid he would kick me.

We're supposed to get more of that white stuff in the next couple of days. I think I'll just lay in my bed up against that white thing and hibernate like the bears do.  Mom said she is all for it.

Junie Says To Check Out: Earth Friendly Products Ice Melt (because it's safe for dogs)