Dog posse on my birthday

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.

Hotdogs, woof!

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?

Egret and telephone lines on coast.

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!

Dog Friends

Dog Posse

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.

Aero, what's that you've got there?

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.

You will give the biscuits to us.

“An animal's eyes have the power to speak a great language.”—Martin Buber

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!

Going to see my friend now

I’m just posting a few photos today. I wanted you to meet my Border Collie friend: Sienna, see our lawn, and introduce you to the wonderful game of Snack Ball. I have to get through some gates before I can see my friend.

Ooooo pretty leaves.

The gate is closed as usual

Knock knock

Hey, anybody home?

I see my friend through the knot hole in the gate! Want to come out and romp?

I invited Sienna to play a game of Snack Ball. Who wouldn’t want to play Snack Ball? She doesn’t want to play Snack Ball. She wants me to play snack ball and then share the rewards.

Friends

Snack Ball is a ball that, somehow, humans put food inside. The snack doesn’t come out until a dog runs after it a few times. Then the humans do a magic trick that involves me putting the ball exactly in their hand. Then the snack appears! Amazing!

Demonstration of how to bring snack ball to human

Sienna was distracted by the lawn. She usually lets me to all the fetching, and comes around later to share the treats.

Funny thing about my friend is that she has this red frisbee she’s played with all her life, and it’s the only frisbee on the planet she wants to catch. She has no interest in any other perfectly good frisbees, even frisbees that look identical (same brand, same color), even frisbees with good smells rubbed on them. She would just watch that wrong frisbee spin through the air and land on the ground barely cocking her head. Her frisbee had gotten pretty munched up over time. Bitten and torn up, it was just a chewed up mangled thing covered with spit. Her humans duct taped it, repaired it, and she kept playing with it no matter what it looked like. But it just kept getting smaller until it was a just tiny strip of plastic. So sad. Finally, when there was almost nothing left, her human duct taped the little shred of chewed up red plastic on a new frisbee. She finally decided that would be okay. What a relief. I was afraid she might just stop playing all together.

So I know this isn’t much of a post today. Really just look at the pictures. They pretty much say it all.

Remember that Snack Ball is a healthy game and usually the exercise compensates for the calories consumed.

The Lawn Ranger on the lawn

I wanted to share that I don’t always get to go sheep herding, which is a drag. Sometimes the days pass under computer tables with my head on the modem, airport, or whatever those warm buzzing things are called, at my human’s feet…trying to be patient. Sometimes those days drone on and on. I do my best to get her attention and get her to go outside and get some fresh air. Sometimes this requires doing a bunch of yoga stretches in front of her, looking sad, and licking her wrists until she finally gets up!

Today she’s letting me take a moment to write you guys, and helping me with some typing. We don’t have a keyboard adapted for dogs yet. So I’m happy for her help.

In these pictures (again, thank you Linda) I share with you some more interesting terrain. I wish I were there now! The trails below the UCSC campus. These trails are great for dried coyote poop perfume and hiker’s dog’s messages all framed in fresh woodsy air. It’s not bad. Occasionally, I get off leash for a romp. (See photos below.)

We want you to know, by the way, that it is not legal to be a dog on the UCSC campus. Not allowed. I asked, but nope, not even on a leash. It’s not okay to be off leash on this trail either, so most of the time I stay tethered to the humans…and hear “leave it” and “Leeeave it.” and “Ranger! LEAVE IT!” a lot.

Please enjoy these few photos of my favorite Santa Cruz Mountain trail. And, speaking of romps, um, it’s really time to go on one. Don’t make me lick your wrists! Take a break. Now!

Run Ranger Run