I started my 3rd birthday, or whelpday, by waking very early December 8. Creeping out of my bed I went to find my humans sleeping at 12:03 a.m. “Hey guys, it’s my birthday! Now where’s that hotdog you promised me?” I was excited. They were groggy.

Many nights we walk past the luminous hotdog storage facility, aka 7-11. The smell is intoxicating. When the magical doors swing open the cleaning solvents sometimes send me into a fit of “reverse sneezing,” but it’s worth it to try and catch a whiff of the hotdogs. Various tube meats rotate for hours, days, on end in that place. (Smell photo below.) Why no one eats them I’ll never know.

So Jeff and Elise have been telling me, for a long, long time that I could have one for my birthday. Now it’s my birthday, Ranger’s big 3rd birthday. Where’s the hotdog?

After going back to bed and sleeping a few more hours we took a birthday walk along the coast. My humans saw many cool things: ocean waves, birds, pretty sky, friends. I smelled many cool things: ice plant, garbage can, light pole, poo poo, sidewalk. Later we met up with some other humans, and my Border Collie friends Aero and Shiobahn. We had fun smelling ice plant, garbage can, sidewalk, dog pee. The Border Collies peed on things and then I peed on their pee, and then they peed on mine, good times!

When we got bored Aero, such a clever boy, turned a piece of ice plant into a toy and fetched it. We all had to admit it that was a lot of fun to toss it around.

It was a good walk. We even scored some treats from Jeff. We all just stared and played “good” until biscuits fell out of his hand. This demonstrates the power of the mind. Do not underestimate what can be achieved by the power of the mind.

That night my Aunt Linda came over and we had hamburgers. Yum. After lying around getting my belly rubbed we walked out into the night air, chilly and fresh, and headed down the stretch with the razor wire and chain link fence, towards the “convenience store,” lit up like a smell beacon in the night.

For the first time ever my human went into the white light and came out with a gift in a red box with “Oscar Meyer” written on the side. (Who’s Oscar Meyer? I must Google him.) I knew what was in that flimsy box before she even got out of the store, my hotdog! That nice lady in the store gave that hotdog to me free for my birthday!

Yay, Happy Whelpday to Me! I’m a lucky Corgi!

If you’re a dog here’s my advice to you: On your birthday wake your humans early, the crack of dawn or sooner. Keep a clear vision in your mind of what you want. Then use the power of your mind to manipulate them to do your bidding. Never underestimate the power of the mind. Good luck!