Feel Better Brody!

My buddy Brody has been limping since we were at the dog park on Sunday. His foster mom took him to the vet and she has to keep an eye on him, he might need to see another doctor. I am crossing my paws for him!

My Mother Did NOT Take Me To SCHOOL Today!

I don't understand this. Tuesdays and Thursdays are my regular doggie day camp days. Instead, I am left at home and given a Kong full of peanut butter, a Kong Stuff A Ball, and a Booda bone. It's a good thing we went to that huge dog park near Ellicott City on Sunday and I had the chance to run around with Kaya, Brody, Xhindi, and another Husky named Luna that happened to show up there! So it's a good thing I had an hour and a half to play with all of those guys, so I was nice and tired...yawn...I think I'll go take a nap.

Pictures, Pictures, Pictures

My humans are so strange. The other morning I was tired and I didn't want to get up, but Mommy made me get up and go for a walk. When we came back inside I laid down in my crate. I dozed off and woke up because a bright light flashed in my face. Daddy had taken my picture, just because I fell asleep with my tongue sticking out! Ridiculous humans. Can't they just let me sleep?

Wierd Dogs Who Don't Want to Play With Me

So Mommy and Daddy saw a picture of some poor little Husky in a shelter, and none of the other rescues had taken him because one of his legs was injured and he wasn't walking on it. He had been at the city shelter since August 18th, and no one had cleaned his cut or even done anything about his fleas! Everyone thought that he would need surgery, and we weren't sure if anyone could foster him, and Mommy told Daddy that he was "running out of time". I'm not sure what that means, but it really worried them.
Then Daddy called some old friends who worked at a vet's office and asked if they could help out a rescue dog. They said yes, they would be glad to see him and give a discount for the rescue. That was very nice. Then someone in the rescue said they could foster him. So on Friday someone from the rescue got him out of the shelter and Mommy and Daddy met her and picked up the poor guy. They took him to the nice vet's office, and they checked him out, put some stuff on him to get rid of his fleas, cleaned the cut on his foot, and took some x-rays of it. He needs to take medicines for a few parasites and for the infected foot, but he'll be okay, which is good. Mommy and Daddy said he was scared, but very good and he didn't growl or anything. He seemed a little more scared of men, he kept leaning on my Mommy and seemed to feel safe with her. He better not give her fleas!
Then Mommy and Daddy brought him home to our house, just for the night, until they could take him to the lady who was going to foster him. I was so curious to meet him, and I wanted to play so bad! At first he wagged his tail like he wanted to meet me, but then he seemed to get scared, and he backed away and growled. Maybe it's because I got so excited that I jumped up and yelled "Owowowowow!" But I was being friendly! Then Mommy put me in the bedroom with all my toys, my food and water, put flea stuff on me, and then gave me a Kong full of peanut butter and closed the door!
I was in shock. What did they think they were doing? I could hear them out there with the puppy, fussing over him, getting him food and water, talking to him. What was I, invisible? I heard Mommy say "I'd love to foster him, but we just don't have the space. We need a yard." Daddy said "Yeah, it would be so much fun to foster this little guy. After a while he probably wouldn't be afraid of Indy anymore."
Well, if that word "foster" means that I would get shut in the bedroom, then I think that idea stinks! Anyway, that little guy is with his foster mom now. I heard she gave him a bath. Good thing, he stunk something fierce!
I don't see what the big deal was about him. Here are some pictures that my humans took of the little street begger. On MY bed, no less! Which I couldn't lay on until Mommy had washed the cover and sprayed the mattress with flea spray, because the little street begger was also a flea hotel!
Then the little interloper spent the night in MY crate. Which I couldn't use again until Mommy sprayed the inside with flea spray and let it dry. He also had the nerve to jump up on the couch the next morning. Mommy dropped him off to the lady who will foster him. Then she came back, sprayed the entire condo with flea spray, and she and I left and spend the day at Grandma and Grandpa's house. Which was fun, because I got to run in the yard and play with my cousin Henny. But that was quite a disruption! I decided I did not really care for it. If the humans want to take in street beggers then I will need to have my own separate quarters that will be kept flea free. And they can forget about shutting my in the bedroom. I resent that!

No Photographs, Please

So after all the excitement of the attack of the BIG BUG, I was tired! And I go to school tomorrow, so I need my rest. So I went into my crate and got comfy, and Mommy walked by and saw me, and then went and got the little thing that clicks and flashes that really bright light in my eyes, and she took pictures of me! Woke me right up! I let her know that I was annoyed.

Attack of the BIG BUG!

About an hour ago Mommy and Daddy and I were in the kitchen talking and suddently mommy looked at the window over the kitchen sink, pointed and said "Baaaaaahaaaaaaa!" She looked terrified!Daddy and I looked where she was pointing and saw this HUGE BUG: Mommy said "WHAT is THAT?" Daddy said "A...dinosaur?" I ran over to see if I could get a good look at it, and Daddy said "Indy, you CANNOT eat that!" Mommy said "No way, that thing would eat you from the inside out!" I didn't want to EAT it, I just wanted to SEE it....sheesh! It's hard to tell because this is a close up, but that bug was about 3 or 4 inches long, and it had really long thick legs, and this wierd little ridge on it's back with spikes on it. Wierd! Sigh. Of course Mommy and Daddy wouldn't let me see it or play with it. They suck.

My Mother Has Got to Stop!

So, I can't help it that I have an upset stomach! It's a medical condition and I have a prescription for it!
So last night, I am laying on the floor minding my own business, and well...tummy was upset, and I passed a little gas. I tried to be quiet about it but mommy has ears like satellite dishes, and of course she had to say "Eeew, he just farted!" I just laid there feeling ashamed. What else could I do?
Then a few minutes later it happned again. I didn't do it on purpose. I would keep them in if I could! Mommy announced "He just farted again!" I got up, walked over to where Daddy was sitting and laid down with my head on Daddy's feet." Daddy petted me and said "It's okay, I love you. Your mother's being so mean!"
I'm going to wait for her to fart or belch I'm going to howl and scream like it's killing me!

Excellent Day

Today was a good day. Mommy finished her big container of yogurt this morning, so she gave it to me! I lovelovelovelove LOVE yogurt! So I licked the sides, starting at the top, and then stuck my head in as far as I could so I could lick all of the yogurt off the very bottom. Mommy says I could get a job in a recycling plant, because I love to lick plastic containers clean and I love to rip up cardboard boxes. Whenever mommy or daddy have a box they want to throw away they give it to me first. They toss it into the middle of the living room and I pounce on it, grab it in my mouth and rip it up while mommy and daddy say "Kill it!" Later, when mommy came home, she had a PetSmart bag in her hand. I used my Husky Senses to sniff out the contents: 1 bottle of grooming spray (ugh), 1 t-shirt for donating to the Humane Society (followed by the "Do you know how lucky you are?" speech...blah blah blah...), then the important thing - the toy! Mommy pulled a glorious HUGE red Kong Stuff A Ball out of the bag! Then she put a couple of peanut butter cookies in it and gave it to me! So you can see why I think this was an excellent day!

Here is a photo of me holding a cardboard Diet Coke box that I helpfully broke down for mommy. She says this makes it much easier to throw the boxes away.

I'm a Hero!

Well, kind of. Mommy took me to PetCo (wonderful mommy!) to get some treats. We were in the store and I was visiting my buddies the ferrets (who are very friendly and not afraid of me) and suddenly we heard over the loudspeaker "Would the owner of the blue Oldsmobile please come to the front?" Mommy and I went up to the front, and a guy who works there said that a man in the parking lot had just backed into Mommy's car, and it looked like he was just going to drive away.
Mommy and I went out on the sidewalk - Mommy looked both ways and then we ran across the street. The man was backing out (away from our car) and was about to pull out of the parking lot, but Mommy and I stood in front of the car. Mommy put her hand up like a police officer, and I stood next to her and looked fiere! The people stopped and the man got out. He kept staring at me like he was afraid of me. I couldn't help it that my teeth were showing, it was hot out! Mommy asked the man to come back in the store with her and make a copy of his insurance information. The man looked at me and said okay. We went inside and the guy in the store made a copy of the paper for us. While we waited I stood next to Mommy and stared at the man to make him feel guilty. I think it made him nervous. I said hi and gave kisses to a few people who were coming in and out of the store, then I went right back to staring at the man who hit Mommy's car. Once we had a copy of his insurance paper he left.
Mommy got me a big bag of peanut butter cookies and gave me some when we got home. Yay!

My Complaints to the Chef

My silly human mother does not understand why I suddenly refuse to eat my kibble. She says "But you loved it for the first two weeks!" It's a new lamb and rice formula that she says is good for my tummy. Well...it is pretty good, but I like my treats and peanut butter better!
After I posted about my mean mother blackmailing me into eating my dinner by holding a new box of Milk Bones hostage, Fritz and Booker's mother wrote "Indy, it is important for you to eat your real dinner, so that you stay healthy." Oh, blah blah blah...You try eating the same thing every day, lady!

My Cousin Henny

This is Henny, my Uncle Joey's cat. She is one of my best friends, and we love wrestling and chasing each other. She likes to tease me. My mommy took this picture. I was standing next to the desk minding my own business. Henny jumped on on the desk, ran over, and started batting my ear! So of course I jumped up and put my front paws on the desk and I accidentally knocked a bunch of papers and things off, and Mommy said "No!" So we had to go play in another room after that. Sometimes Henny ignores me and doesn't feel like playing, so I have to try extra hard to get her attention! This morning she laid down on top of the couch, I guess she thought I couldn't reach. Well, I showed her! But Mommy caught me in the act, oh well. She thought the picture was so cute that she didn't get mad at me for getting on the furniture. Hee hee, I know how to use my cuteness!

Where do Puppies Come From?

I don't mean like that! I mean, when you see cute wittle puppies in pet stores, do you know where they came from? My Uncle Joey's girlfriend Christy wants to get a puppy from a lady who sells puppies of 40 different breeds. The puppies are shipped to her from Missouri. My mommy said "Wait, that sounds like a puppy mill!" Christy didn't know what a puppy mill was, so my mommy did some research and found out that Missouri is famous for its puppy mills, which make about 40 million dollars a year selling huge numbers of puppies. This is a very sad thing to talk about, but in case people out there in Huskyland don't know what puppy mills are, I thought I should tell you.
It's very sad, but most puppies in pet stores, or business that sell large numbers of puppies that they have shipped in from out of state come from puppy mills. Puppy mills are a very sad and terrible thing. For some reason, puppy mills are very common in the midwestern US and in Pennsylvania, especially Lancaster county.
Puppies in puppy mills come from mothers who are continually bred, regardless of their health or the health of the puppies they produce. These poor mothers receive little or no medical care and usually live their entire lives in cages or kennels, and produce puppies until their bodies give out. The puppies are shipped to puppy brokers and pet stores all over the country. Please visit prisonersofgreed.org and get the facts about the puppy mill industry and find out what you can do to help put a stop to it.
If you want to get a dog or puppy (and who wouldn't?), please go to a rescue or shelter. You'll have plenty of dogs to choose from! According to the Humane Society of the United States:

• Number of cats and dogs entering shelters each year: 6-8 million (HSUS estimate)
• Number of cats and dogs euthanized by shelters each year: 3-4 million (HSUS estimate)
• Number of cats and dogs adopted from shelters each year: 3-4 million (HSUS estimate)
• Number of cats and dogs reclaimed by owners from shelters each year: Between 600,000 and 750,000 -- 30% of dogs and 2-5% of cats entering shelters (HSUS estimate)
• Number of animal shelters in the United States: Between 4,000 and 6,000 (HSUS estimate)
• Percentage of dogs in shelters who are purebred: 25% (HSUS estimate)
• Average number of litters a fertile dog can produce in one year: 2
• Average number of puppies in a canine litter: 6-10
• In six years, one female dog and her offspring can theoretically produce 67,000 dogs

Tails of the Tundra sells a bumper sticker with a saying that makes a lot of sense: "Don't rescue? Don't breed!"
If humans took this very good advice, there wouldn't be so many doggies euthanized every day in shelters. There are rescues, but there are always more dogs in shelters than rescues have room to foster, so they can't save everyone. Please remember this the next time you decide to bring a doggies (preferably a Husky!) into your family.

My Pet (ha ha) Peeves

I have had a very frustrating week and I need to vent, so I will list some of my pet (ha ha, yes, pun intended) peeves. If you agree with me please let me know, and feel free to tell me about your pet peeves! Indy's Pet Peeves

• The big wooden dog-proof trash can in the kitchen with the really heavy lid that's impossible to open. I hate it. I would pee on it except I would get in a lot of trouble!
• Mommy won't get me a kitty. She knows I love to play with kitties. She says we need a bigger house first.
• Mommy makes me eat my kibble or else she won't let me have treats or booda bones.
• Mommy insists on going to work five days a week instead of staying home and entertaning me and taking me for walks.
• I live far away from my buddy Maxx and I think mommy should take me to see him a lot more.
• I don't get to go to day camp every day like my best friend Sebastian, I only get to go twice a week. The other dogs made fun of me and said it was because we're poor! So I humped them all. That showed them!

That's all I have for now. Off to eat my dinner...sigh.

This is Blackmail

My mother did a sneaky, low-down thing today! She picked me up from day camp and then we stopped at PetSmart on the way home. This sounds like a good thing, but she was really very sneaky. We stopped and visited the birds, and I looked at the hamsters. I'm very good about that now, if I stand quietly and look at them I can watch them for 10 or 15 minutes while Mommy talkes to the birds. She doesn't let me sing to the hamsters.
Anyway, Mommy got a big box of Milk Bones, my favorite! Then boy at the cash register petted me and said I was pretty and gave me a treat, but it wasn't very good so I spit it out. Mommy said I was rude. Whatever, she should try it. It tasted like chalk.
So then we go home and Mommy put my food out. I sniffed it, drank some water and walked away. Mommy put the box of Milk Bones away and said "You don't get any treats until you eat your dinner." Then she put my booda bones and smoked bones away! I was left with no choice and had to resort to eating my food! Mommy thinks because it's all natural baked kibble I should be all grateful and scarf it up every time...but that would make me a Lab, not a Siberian Husky!

But I Don't Want to Eat Breakfast!

My mother is so mean! Most Huskies don't have big appetites to begin with, and since it's been so hot out, I have been eating less than usual. My mother tried to make me eat my kibble this morning, since I didn't eat any last night. I reached into my bowl and licked some kibble and pretended to chew, but it didn't fool her. She said "I know you didn't eat it, I'm not stupid! No treats for you, I guess you'll eat when you get hungry!" Mean mommy!

We Must Not Lose Power Again!

I was at day camp today, thank goodness, when the power went out. Apparently it was off for a couple of hours, which is completely unacceptable. I may have type a letter to them if this happens again.
I am off to rest on my refrigerated cooling mat. I may write more later.

A Shout Out to My Brothers in Michigan!

I got a very nice compliment from Sarah in Michigan who says that she enjoys my blog. I hope her two Huskies, Fritz and Booker, enjoy my blog when nobody's home!
Here, Booker demonstrates the "be cute with a child" behavior that earns extra treats and affection.Fritz is trying to get in on the act, he wasn't born yesterday! Notice how the tip of his tongue is sticking out...
To the right, we can see how poor Fritz was forced to wear a silly, festive Christmas collar...it probably even has jingle bells on it like mine does! Poor Fritz puts on a good face...he's a good sport. However, I encourage Fritz to shred that Christmas collar and any other ridiculous costumes that his owners make him wear (no offense Sarah!) as a good Husky should! That is one of the cardinal rules of Huskydom - if your humans make you wear silly, embarassing hats,collars or other things, send them a message by ripping those things to peices!

Booker has done an excellent job of taking over some of the household furniture. According to his owner Sarah, this has become Booker's chair, and he does not like to be disturbed when he is in his chair. I encourage Booker, Fritz and all other Huskies to claim household furniture as their own. When claiming couches, love seats or beds, it's best to stretch out and take up as much room as possible. Also, you can "mark" furniture as yours by covering it with your hair. If the humans clean the furniture, cover it with your hair again. Soon they will just give up and stop using that peice of furniture, and it will be yours!

The Magic is Back!!!

Late last night, everything turned on again, and the magic machine started blowing out cool air! I was so relieved! Oh, I love the magic machine. I'll have to let mommy know that she has to make sure it doesn't break again! I was rather uncomfortable in that heat, that is just unacceptable!

Survival Log, Hour Four

My journal entry from yesterday evening:
Due to the heat and loss of power (which means the magic machine doesn't keep the condo cool) we have resorted to desperate measures: Mommy ran a cord in from the stairwell (where the lights still work) and has plugged in a big fan. She also put my cooling mat in the freezer for ten minutes so it was nice and cold. Then she put it in front of the fan, told me to lay on it and misted me with cool water. Usually I would object, but it did feel good and it helped cool me off. I wasn't made to live in such primitive conditions....must...hang...on...cannot...give...up...

Cruel, Cruel Power Company

My journal entries from yesterday. We lost power so I was forced to write these on paper.
Yesterday was going well. I had an early morning walk, then I rested for a while. Mommy brushed me, then played with me for a while. Then Mommy was working on some volunteer things on the computer and suddenly everything in the apartment turned off. Mommy said a bad word. Then she said "No, no, no no no no! Not today, there's a heat advisory! Nooooooooooooo!" She called the power company and left a message. Then she got a glass of icewater, put some ice in my bowl and started reading. Well, at least it happened in the evening.

They Knew I Would Shed When They Got Me

But they still insist on brushing me. A lot. Especially in the summer. They point at the hair that I leave behind and say "He needs to be brushed." So between mommy and daddy I was sprayed with grooming spray, and then combed. After that they used this thing called a "furmnator" to pull out the dead undercoat. I did not try to hide my annoyance.

No More Brushing!

Everything was going fine. Mom got up reasonably early this morning and took me for a short walk, then we went back inside to the cool apartment and I laid on my refrigerated cooling mat. I had my breakfast and even scored a few small peices of pancake, yum!
Then I heard Mom say to Daddy, "Can you brush him later? There's still a lot of undercoat along his back that needs to come out." Daddy said "Sure."
NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!

Yesterday Daddy picked up a small computer desk and put it together so that Mommy will always have room to work on her volunteer things and I can work on my blog!
Last night Daddy was setting the other computer up for Mommy, and he was cleaning it with a can that said "Dust Off" on it. It made a loud hissing sound that made me jump! I said "Owow." and Daddy said "Shhhhh, I'm not even spraying you with it!" So I quieted down. Then Mommy thought it was funny to spray me with it. It felt like I was getting squirted with water, but it was just air. She used it to blow my fur around and make me look funny. I KNOW I looked annoyed, but Mommy just laughed. Finally I protested, saying "Ooowooooowooooowww!" and Mommy stopped and hugged me and said she was sorry, but she was still laughing. Humans!

Too...hot...

It's just too hot.
Too hot.
I only stay outside long enough to answer nature's call, and then I turn around and come right back inside.
I'm very glad mommy and daddy have that special machine that keeps it nice and cool in here. Maybe I could convince them to move to Maine or Washington state...

Want to hear me say "hello"? Really. I can actually say the word.

Since my good buddy Maxx requested it, I have uploaded a sound file of me saying "hello", the trick that got me on The Late Show With David Letterman! Click below to listen - you may have to turn up the volume.

Now They've Gone Too Far!

My silly human mother - she stumbled across this supposed joke that is ridiculous, offensive and insulting to all canines, and she thinks it's funny! To all of my canine readers - you must look at this, then pass it on and share it with your other canine friends. We must work together to put a stop to something like this that paints dog kind in such an unflattering light! This is what my mother thinks is so funny!

Husky Howls Translated

Hello readers (a special hello to my husky readers)! Do your humans get confused when you howl? Do they start asking "What's wrong?" or "What do you want?" Many humans don't realize that Huskies talk and howl. This page has some really cool audio files of Husky howls and an explanation of each one, it's pretty neat! Also, feel free to sing along at home!

Rules of Play: WWF Smackdown, dog style!

What dog doesn't love to play? Many humans like the idea of dog parks, and take their dogs there. The idea is that we can run off leash (free at last!) and wrestle and play to our heart's content! However, many silly humans really don't know anything about how dogs play, and they get worried and think that we are fighting when we are really just playing. They let their dog loose, and the minute their dog starts wrestling with another dog, the silly human screams "MY BABY! IT'S KILLING MY BABY!", grab their dog, call the other dog "aggressive", and flee from the dog park never to return. If this describes your human, print this out (hit Ctrl and the P button on the keyboard) and leave it on your human's bed or kitchen table. I will explain how dogs play so that your human will figure it out and take you back to the dog park, where you can run free off of the leash of oppression! The Play Bow - the play bow is the universal doggie symbol for "Let's Play!" Basically, the dog smacks his front paws on the ground and his head is near the ground, while his butt sticks straight up in the air and his tail wags. Below, my buddy Cody demonstrates the play bow as he pins Storm to the ground. Cody's front legs are almost completely flat against the ground, his head is near the ground, and his butt is right up in the air. His tail is even wagging - that's a happy playful dog! Naya (the pretty white Husky...I think she likes me!) Maxx and I stand and watch, we know it's all play and that we don't have to worry about Storm getting hurt.
In the October 6th, 2004 article called "Fair Play" on Science News for Kids, Emily Sohn writes:

A behavior called "play bow," for one, seems to be especially important. When a dog crouches on the ground with its rear end in the air, it's saying, "I want to play with you," Bekoff says. His research shows that wolves, coyotes, and dogs use play bows directly before or after behaviors that could be taken the wrong way. If one animal gives another a particularly hard or aggressive bite, for example, the two normally part ways. If the biter uses a bow, though, either as a warning or as an apology, play immediately continues.

Humans (I know you read this) keep this in mind! When you see us do that, it means we're going to play and we both understand that! Here are some more examples of dog body language with great illustrations and photos. So read up on dog body language and play, and off to the dog park with you!

Rats, Foiled Again!

The spree of desctruction on Monday was fun, but today I am paying the price. Mommy moved a bunch of things out of my reach before she left for work this morning. THEN she got out a bottle called Bitter End and sprayed a lot of things with it. It did not smell good. In fact, I sniffed something that she sprayed, and it made me sneeze! It got this hot tingly feeling in my nose, like I did the time that I licked Ben Gay off of mommy's ankle! I guess mommy breathed some of it in too, because she started coughing and hacking and her eyes started watering. The she said something that sounded like "Noooo, I can't just use Bitter Apple for you. Not strong enough. Noooo, I have to get spray with CAPSICUM in it for you! And then it makes me cough up a lung! I hope you're happy!" I don't know what that meant...but I couldn't chew on anything today. Oh well...I go back to school tomorrow!

Tricks for Treats

My friend Maxx reminded me of a good tip that I saw him use at a Tails of the Tundra Husky Rescue event.
It was a hot summer day in Eastport, Annpolis, and the Eastport a Rockin' street fair was in full swing. Thank goodness we were near the water and we could wade and cool off. Here we are in the water that day:

As you can see, Maxx is very handsome, just like me! Aren't we a pair of good looking guys? We so could have picked up some girls if my mom hadn't been there...that kinda cramps my style!
Anyway, it was a very hot day. Our booth had shade and there was plenty of water and there was a kennel with a towel over the top so we could rest. But you know, sometimes you just need some extra goodies to get you through a hot day. Maxx, being the sly guy that he is, knows better than to beg or whine for food, his mom doesn't put up with that! So he was very creative - he was sitting, and suddenly started to hold up his paw as if it was hurting him. He kept it up for a minute or two, and his mom noticed. She said "What's wrong with your paw Maxx?" and looked at his paw. He kept holding it up. Suddenly Maxx was surrounded by volunteers who were checking out his paw. His mom finally walked him around to see if he was limping...he wasn't. But he got a couple of treats out of it, plus extra attention and sympathy! Good work, Maxx!
Another excellent idea that my savvy friend Maxx had: be cute with kids. People love that mushy stuff - you'll get tons of attention and treats! Maxx has provided us with an illustration:
Those are just a few examples of how cunning we Huskies can be. Readers, feel free to share your stories!

I Get to Go to School Today!

Well, it's not really school, but Doggie Day Camp. I get to play and wrestle with a bunch of other dogs all day! Today I am very excited because my best buddies are here - Luna, a Malamute mix, Sebastian, a pure white Siberian Husky, and Niko, another Siberian Husky! Niko is new, last Thursday was his first day and we played and wrestled together all day. Well, gotta go play!

Husky Bloggers Unite!

My fellow Husky blogger Meeshka made mention of me in her blog, and did an excellent job of explaining why Huskies shred things that are out of place. It would behoove all Husky owners (and you know who you are) to take a few minutes and educate yourselves on the laws of the Husky.
Bravo, Meeshka! Well done! Awooooooooooooooooooo!

Blogging Has Gone to the Dogs - and Other Pets!

So while surfing online, I found this article about how blogs for pets are becoming a trend. I guess my fellow Husky blogger Meeshka and I were the only ones smart enough to figure out that we can use the same FREE blogging services that humans do! All of those other silly people are paying for domain names and hosting...sheesh!

In the Proverbial Dog House

Daddy made me stay in my kennel after finding the bags that I shredded. When Mommy got home, she opened the door to my kennel but ignored me...it was really wierd. I think it has something to do with that book she read called The Dog Listener. It's on the couch, if it's still there on Wednesday, I'll look at it...and maybe shred it... I was quiet and followed Mommy and tried to get her attention. She got a glass of water, changed her clothes, and then sat down at the computer. I laid down next to the desk and chewed on my Booda bone and waited for Mommy to notice how good I was being. No dice - she was facing the other way. A few minutes later Mommy went to get more water. I followed her into the kitchen and touched her hand with my nose. No reaction. Hmmm...clearly I was being too subtle. I decided that it was time to resort to more obvious measures. I picked up my Bad Cuz toy and poked Mommy in the butt with it. Nothing. She took her water back to the desk, put it down and then sat down and petted me for a few minutes and told me that I was a good boy for playing with my own toys. I guess I'd better toe the line for a while!

Shredding Things Is Fun!

My humans were silly enough to leave my plastic bucket of liver treats on the coffee table! Let's just say it isn't there anymore...of course, once I broke that and ate my fill of liver treats (burp) I couldn't stop there...there was a plastic bag of mail on the couch that mommy left there on Saturday that she hasn't gone through yet...I killed that plastic bag! I thoughtfully left the mail on the floor in front of the couch so she couldn't miss it, and she would see that I did not shred her mail. Then I found another plastic bag on the couch, it had some peices of broken plastic in there that made some interesting sounds when I moved the bag...I saw a label on it that said "eBay returns"...I wonder what that means? Well, I had fun ripping up that bag and watching the peices of plastic fly everywhere! After that I laid down and rested. Then daddy came home and saw the things I had shredded and got very angry. What a meanie! I have been in my cage since then. Hey, if I had left all of those things sitting there and not touched them, I wouldn't be a very good Siberian Husky! If that's what they wanted, they should have gotten a lab!!! Phooey on parents.

The Power of the Pout

So this morning I had my walk nice and early, but it was still hot! I've had enough of this heat...bring on the cold weather! My silly human mother forgot my cooling mat again after my walk this morning! I had to lie on the floor panting for almost 4 minutes before she remembered! Then she started getting ready for work...I can tell when she is going to work, because she starts blow drying her hair, etc. The hair dryer is my cue to begin pouting. Good pouting skills are very important. The better you are at pouting, the worse you can make your humans feel for abandoning you so thoughtlessly during the day. And the worse the humans feel about this, the more treats they put out before they leave! Today I laid down in the hallway facing the bathroom with my head resting on my paws, looking woefully into the mirror while my mother was doing her hair. She talked to me and tried to cheer me up, but I was not having it. Yeah, she spent a lot of time with me this weekend and we just went for a nice walk, blah blah blah. I merely gave a loud sigh and went to lie in my kennell. My efforts paid off - I scored the following booty before mom left for work:

• one large Kong stuffed with crunchy peanut butter
• one Kong Stuff A Ball filled with treats from the Petco treat bar
• one Nobbly Wobbly filled with Milk Bones of various flavors
• one peanut butter flavored Booda Bimples bone, Xtra large

Excellent - that should last me all day!

Do I Need To Spell It Out For You?

My mother took me for my night time walk. During the summer I only want to take two walks a day - any more than that is too much when you're wearing a thick fur coat in August during Code Red weather!
So we have a nice walk, except that two people walking two little dogs saw us coming and quickly crossed the street. What, did they think I was going to hurt der wittle doggies? Ha! As if I have any interest in that.
But I digress...after a nice 20 minute walk, mom and I came back inside. Even though it was late it was still humid outside and quite warm. I lay panting on the floor, stretched out full length so that mom could see my sides going up and down...but she seemed oblivious, drinking water and watching TV. I stared at her, let my mouth gape open and panted harder...nothing. Finally I had no choice but to resort to more obvious measures, and I looked at her and let out a soft "Wooooo." She looked at me and said "What? I didn't make any fart noises!" I rolled my eyes, and panted harder thinking there was no way she could miss it. Nothing. So I let out another soft "Wooooo." She looked at me for a few seconds and finally said "Do you want your cooling mat?" Eureka! I lifted up my head and pricked up my ears. She got up and got my cooling mat out of my kennel. It was still wet, so she put it in the freezer and set the timer for 5 minutes. She said "It will be ready in a few minutes!" Jeez. I thought I had her trained by now, but I guess we have to reinforce the routine - my cooling mat is to be ready immediately after my walks!

My Mother Makes Me SO MAD!

So as soon as my daddy comes through the door, I run to him with my rope toy, and we play just like we normally do. Then he and mommy start talking, and she tells him about the walk we took. Suddenly she exclaims "Oh! And he's still farting! He was walking along and bzzz bzzzzzz bzzzzzzz...he's just farting as he prances along!"
I have no idea why my mother feels the need to humiliate me like this. And if that isn't bad enough, she continues: "And he was farting at my parents' house yesterday too, just lying on the floor farting! I could hear it!" Daddy laughs.
I throw myself down on the floor in disgust. I will never understand why humans make such a big deal about it when animals have gas. God knows if we talked about their farts we'd be punished! Grrrr....
Listen every husky, if your humans humiliate you like this, tell me about it! Send me your stories so that we can all find a way to put a stop to this! Let me know if it's okay to use your stories or photos on my blog.

I Was A Beautiful Baby

Since I have, of course, been gorgeous since I was born, my human mother has collected pictures of me since she brought me home. 3 months Napping My first toy My first bath

The Burdens of the Beautiful

My human mother finally got around to taking me for a walk. Unfortunately, she rather spoiled my mood by repeating "Go pee pee...go pee pee..." at my potty spot, loudly enough for anyone within 5 feet to hear. Thank goodness, we walk to a rather secluded alley which has several large pine trees for me to do what humans call "number two". There again my mother insisted on the humiliating chant "Go poo poo...go poo poo" while I squatted and attempted to retain some of my dignity. The worst part is that once I finish, she exclaims "Goooooood booooooy!" as if it's the first time that I've figured out that this is where I'm supposed to conduct that activity. Sheesh. I'm almost FIVE YEARS OLD...I think I have it down by now! A bit later we were on our way to the lake and some people talking on the sidewalk across the street stopped and looked at me and I heard a girl say "Oooh, look at that beautiful Husky!" I nonchanlantly pranced along...after all, you can't let this sort of thing go to your head when it happens so often! Now I am off to rest comfortably on my refrigerated cooling pad. I scored that after I faked a heatstroke about a month ago after mom took me for a 20 minute walk on a particularly hot day. That was a stroke of genius.

The Sins of My Humans

Why do you take forever on weekends to get your shoes on, get dressed and take me out so I can answer nature's call? Why do you insist on having a leiseruely cup of coffee, or sometimes an entire breakfast first? You were the ones who decided to drink that bottle of merlot last night...I sighed from my kennel as you drank the last of it, because I knew you would be extra sluggish in the morning, whining about how you are stuffy (well, you KNEW that wine aggravates your allergies!), or how tired you are, blah blah blah. And for the record, when you do take me out to do my business, you do not need to say "Go pee pee" and "Go poo poo" over and over AND OVER! I'll do what I need to do, thank you very much! And you have to scoop it...it's the law. Hmmm...I'm going to go see if I can bite through that bottle of hand lotion that smells like peaches...

Treats - To Eat, or Not to Eat

Treats...the right treats can motivate us to obey our human's ridiculous requests, such as "shake" or "high five". But you can't accept just anything. No, no - we dogs have little control over what we are allowed to eat as it is. Huskies are smart enough to figure out that if you refuse certain food offerings, especially a few days in a row, your humans will worry and try to tempt you with different foods. A friend of ours from Husky rescue gave me a box of Trader Joe's all natural peanut butter dog treats, which were HEAVENLY. When they ran out, my mom didnt feel like driving half an hour to a Trader Joe's, so she tried to fool me with all natural peanut butter treats from some other store! Well, I am no fool. I took the treat excitedly in my mouth, and then...I noticed that these treats were not the same kind! Now, I don't know what my mother was thinking - She buys her favorite yogurt (which she very generously shares with me sometimes), her favorite cereal, her favorite cheese, etc. How would she feel if dad went out and bought all different brands? So I did the only thing I could do. I delicately spit the treat out, laid down, and stared at her. She picked it up and held it in front of my mouth. Oh yeah, now I want it, since you shoved it in my face! I turned my face away with a look of disdain. My mom stomped off muttering about starving dogs all over the world and how they would be grateful for a high quality all natural treat. She kept trying to fool me into eating those treats for the next few days, but I stood firm and politely declined them each time. Today she broke down and took me to Petco and bought a bag full of my favorite treats from the treat bar...success! I humbly offer the following composition: Husky Hints for Getting the Food You Want

If your human offers you food that doesn't knock your socks off, take a few halfhearted nibbles, drop the kibble back into the bowl, sigh loudly, and look mournfully at your human.

If your human says "Come on, it's very good food, and it has your favorite...chicken!", sniff the food, lick a kibble once or twice, drink some water as if you are trying to get the taste out of your mouth, and look mournfully at your human.

If your human says "Well, that's all your getting, so you'll eat when you get hungry enough!" it is time for drastic measures. You don't want to actually go hungry. The point is to guilt your human into making your food worth eating. You need to push the envelope. Start eating some kibble - crunch down as if you're really eating it, and then start coughing. For maximum effectiveness, allow crumbs and pieces of kibble to fly out of your mouth in all directions. Drink some water as if trying to get the crumbs out of your throat. Continue to cough, hack and gag loudly over the next 10 minutes. Then walk away, lie down and sigh loudly.

Most humans will, at this point, feel desperate to get you to eat. After all, Huskies are naturally trim, and we are not designed to carry extra fat. We are also known for being finicky eaters. If I decline the food offering more than once, my mom will add a dollop of her delicious yogurt to my food, or sprinkle some lovely shredded parmesan cheese on it.

Now the key to long term banishment of the unacceptable food offering is to continue to refuse to eat the food offering.

This is especially effective if it is continued into the next day. Continue to turn away with a look of disdain. At this point my mother is thinking about how since Huskies have small appetites anyway and I am naturally slim, I really do need my nutrition...then she will continue to add yogurt or canned pumpkin (YUM!) to my kibble to bribe me into eating it!

A Husky's Prerogative

Everyhusky has the inalienable right to curl up and fall fast asleep wherever and whenever the urge may strike. In the car, at the vet, in the yard, and even under the dining room table. My mom seems to think that laying under the dinner table is a very odd thing to do while she and dad are eating. Silly humans! Don't they realize that by laying under the table I am perfectly positioned to quickly snatch any morsel of food that they may drop? And if I fall asleep, It is NOT funnty or cute to take pictures of me while I am sound asleep under the table. Not. Cute.

Proof that I am the Most Beautiful Dog Ever!

A few months ago when I had been going to Doggie Day Camp for a few weeks, I brought home written proof that I am extremely gorgeous! I mean, it's one thing to know that you are gorgeous, and for your mom and dad and pretty much everyone around to know it too. But to see it in writing is pretty darn cool! This report card still retains a place of honor on our refridgerator! Oh, by the way, "Sebbie" is Sebastian, my best bud at day camp. He's an all white Siberian Husky and we're both 4 years old and love to wrestle! We're the coolest guys in day camp, and we share a kennel at nap time. That way we can make fun of the nerdy dogs while they snore and drool in their sleep. And we can talk about Destiny - she's a petite German Shepherd mix, and she is cute! Sebbie said he thinks she likes me...well, shoot, what girl could resist me?

One Husky's Musings

Well, I should introduce myself. I am a purebred Siberian Husky. I am red and white and I am gorgeous! But I'm not just another pretty face - I am also very talented. I can say "hello", "I love you", and "no". And I am a sucker for propriety - it drives me nuts when my mom and dad make fart noises to tease me - I try to ignore it, but it gets to the point where I can't take it anymore and I HAVE to woo at them and tell them how crude their behavior is! They think this is hilarious and call me "Miss Manners"...apparently they aren't too swift, these humans - I AM a boy! A little about my accomplishments - in February of 2003 I appeared on The Late Show with David Letterman to perform for Stupid Pet Tricks. Of course, when I said "Hello", everyone said it was amazing and that it was not at all stupid! I gave Dave a kiss and the whole audience said "Awwwwwwww..." The Late Show put us up at the Buckingham Hotel near Central Park. Here I am living it up in our fancy schmancy room! I wanted a steak from room service, but noooooo, mom wouldn't order one for me. Something about it giving me indigestion and her not wanting to have to take me to Central Park 4 or 5 times during the night. Click here to see more photos of my trip to New York. Today my mom dropped me off at Grandma and Grandpa's while she went to do some shopping. I played with my Uncle Joey's cat. She's pretty cool, she likes for me to chase her. She also sits on the dining room chairs and bats at my face when I walk by. I can fit her whole head in my mouth! I never hurt her, but she hates it because then the top of her head is all wet and her fur sticks up in spikes, hee hee. Mom and I stopped at a Petco on the way home and she got me treats from the treat bar and a Chilly Bone. It's vanilla flavored! I shall destroy it within an hour!