Christmas!!!

A few days ago we celebrated Christmas...The Boss Lady had everyone over for Christmas Eve dinner at our house. I wasn't too thrilled with this as there were little kids running around and a lot of people I didn't know. The Boss Lady didn't make me interact with them though and let me stay in my crate with a yummy kong stuffed with peanut butter. Limerick got to stay in the crate next to me 'cause he gets a little too revved up when kids are running around. Dublin got to stay out though because he can handle it. He was working the crowd like a pro and getting lots of treats from the table when people thought the Boss Lady wasn't looking.

After things had calmed down a little bit, the Boss Lady had one of her young nieces sit quietly next to my crate and drop treats in for me. I really liked that. I felt safe in my crate so I didn't have to give my "I'm a big scary dog - stay away!!" bark. Since the little girl was so calm and wasn't looking at me, I was happily eating all the treats she gave me. Limerick did get a little jealous though, so the Boss Lady gave him another kong and he was happy.


The next day was Christmas and the Boss Lady's parents came over for Christmas breakfast. Lim and I stayed in the crate for the first part so we could be calm and relaxed. Dublin was working the crowd again and managed to get more tidbits handed to him from the parent's breakfast plates.

Here's a picture of Dublin. He's looking so happy because he spent the morning getting bacon fed to him by the Boss Lady's mom!



Once breakfast was over, we got to open presents! I didn't say anything to the Boss Lady, but I was kinda worried that Santa Paws wasn't going to be able to find me as this isn't my forever home...but I am happy to report that I was worried for nothing! All us dogs got some yummy treats and the catz got a fancy-smancy new kitty condo!

Hmmm...this looks like fun!


Darwin's playing sneak attack!



Ummm...can I come in and play with you?






I tried to get in it to play with them....


...but I couldn't fit.


What do I do now, Boss Lady?


I was starting to get in a funk because I couldn't play with the kittens when they were in their snazzy new house, but the Boss Lady had a big surprise for me...I had one more present! Isn't is the bestest toy ever?!? My special friend Noah sent it to me.


I tried to get the Boss Lady to play with me, but she was busy taking pictures.


So then I hit up the Boss Lady's dad. He's always up for a good play session
(is it just me,or does the Boss Lady's dad look an awful lot like Santa Paws...?)






After all the present opening hoopla was over, it was time to chill and nap. I was sad because the Boss Lady said I had to rest for a bit before I could play with my new toy some more.


Dublin was very worried because Fossil decided to curl up next to Dublin's toy gorilla...and Dublin was too scared to take it from her!



I said I would try to get it from her....


But then she spotted me...


and I was foiled...



Darwin decided to steal the Boss Lady's chair for a nap when she got up to put Limerick in the crate for his nap.

Newton said she got quite enough beauty sleep last night

So she decided to use this time for a grooming session...


Darwin thought this was a wonderful idea.

Pokey evidently had too much catnip, so he was just chillin' for a while.


...and I was patiently waiting unil it was time to play with my toy again...

Let It Snow, Let It Snow, Let It Snow!!

Wow, it's been crazy around here as the Boss Lady gets ready for the "Howl-a-dazes". Not sure what they are, but it has meant I've had a tough time getting a chance to log onto the computer. The Boss Lady has been on it a lot "tracking packages" to make sure they get here on time. Humans are so silly.

Anyway, I was really excited this past weekend because it snowed for 3 straight days! I love snow! I really wanted to go out and play in it, but the Boss Lady reminded me that I had a leg that still needed to heal.

I had to make due with snuggling with my snowman.
The Boss Lady kept telling me that Mr. Snowman wasn't a dog toy, but that he was a "de-kor-a-shun".


I love Mr. Snowman though, and the Boss Lady finally caved.



The Boss Lady must have been in the "Howl-a-day" spirit because she finally agreed to let me go outside for a bit. I was sooooo excited, but the Boss Lady told me that I couldn't run around at all. (There was so much snow that I couldn't have run if I tried!) Here I am getting my instructions:


Then the Boss Lady brought out our dinner. She feeds us a raw diet so that day we were getting some yummy chicken frames and turkey hearts.

Limerick takes his out to the back corner so no one tries to steal it.


Here I am being all stealthy and hiding under the cherry branch that last week's ice storm took down - they'll never see me here.

Dublin doesn't need to hide with his food though. The cats are the only ones brave enough to try to take the food from him and they aren't allowed outside. Well, the Boss Lady can easily take the food from any of us, but since she is the one who gave it to us in the first place, she usually doesn't need to take it back from us!

Here I am begging for more food:
"I finished all my food Boss Lady, can I have some more? I promise I won't tell Limerick...."


The Boss Lady wasn't falling for my puppy dog eyes though. In fact, she said it was time to come inside.
"Awww, can't I stay out a little bit longer? Pulllleeeease?"


Dublin and Limerick love the snow - so much so that the Boss Lady has a hard time getting them to come back into the house when it is snowing out. Dublin especially seems to develop "Sudden Hearing Loss" at these times.

"I hear nothing...."


Limerick was beside himself because he found his Frisbee even though there was a foot of snow on top of it! He had been worried because he thought it was a goner until spring!

"Whaddya mean it's time to come in? Look what I just found!!!"



She finally corralled us and got us to come inside. Limerick and I were pretty tired and decided to take a nap.





Dublin informed us that he was "made of tougher stuff and didn't need a nap like you young'uns" so he spent the rest of day helping the Boss Lady (though I did see him sneak in a nap when he thought we didn't notice!)

~Finnegan

I'm Baaaaack!

Wow, it's been a long time since I've been able to post. First, I had my surgery, then we had an ice storm. The Boss Lady was able to come and get me after all, but we had no power for DAYS - I didn't think that was all that bad, but the Boss Lady explained that the 'puter needed electricity to run so I couldn't post. Then the Boss Lady had to go on another business trip and Dublin, Limerick and I stayed at a cool boarding facility run by a friend of the Boss Lady. Limerick and Dublin got to run around and play, but I am still on crate rest so I couldn't join in. Ugh. But finally we are home and have power at the same time, so I can post and update you on all the cool things that have been happening.

First, I want to thank the wonderful people at D.I.N.E for donating this really cool bed for me to use. I'm not sure exactly what makes it so much more comfortable than the other dog bed I used, I just know that it feels reeeeally good to sleep on it and I'm not as stiff when I get up from my nap when I use it. And it is big enough that if Limerick or the kittens want to sleep on it too, I don't feel like I have to get up and move.

I'm healing well so far from my second surgery. It has been 10 long days of no running though and I still have to wear a t-shirt so I don't scratch my stitches - but at least this time it isn't an embarrassing pink one!

As I mentioned earlier, we were without power for DAYS! Humans are pretty funny when the power goes out - they act kinda lost, sorta like when someone steals my ball when I am not looking. They wander around the house trying to find things to keep them occupied that don't need electricity. They're pretty silly, humans - us dogs had everything under control - we just napped the time away! Though it did get pretty chilly in the house after a few days with no heat. I was forced to cuddle with Limerick and the kittens (Dublin does not cuddle with non-humans and I wasn't cold enough to brave cuddling with the other cats).

The Boss Lady has been frantically running around trying to get ready for Christmas yet she still made time in her day to embarrass me.



Limerick tried to help; he told me to keep my chin up and she would get bored soon. So I did and it worked.




Gotta go now and save one of the kittens, they keep getting trapped in the decoration boxes...

~Finnegan, kitten-sitter

Anyone interested in donating to Finnegan's surgery fund, can do so by clicking here.

Guest Blog - update on Finnegan

Hi All -

Limerick here again. The Boss wanted me to update you on Finnegan. Finn is doing great and he is all set to come home today...if the Boss can make it out to pick him up! We had a doozy of an ice storm last night and the roads are pretty bad and trees are down everywhere. Dublin and I have been listening to all the chainsaws going all day so maybe they'll have the roads cleared soon.

Anyway, the Boss plans on picking Finnegan up tonight if she can. If not, the good people at the vet hospital will watch him overnight.

I hope he comes home soon...even though I can't rough-house with him, I still miss him...

~Limerick, the Bold.

Update!!

I have two pieces of important news:

First, I discovered that the pine tree in the house is definitely not to be used for pee breaks. The Boss Lady couldn't have been more clear on this point. I'm still not really sure why we have a tree in the house, though, especially as it doesn't come with any squirrels. I asked Dublin and Limerick what the deal was, but they just said "humans are weird sometimes, just go with the flow" then Dublin added, "By the way, don't go under the tree." I thought that was odd advice as I quite like lounging under the trees that are outside...but then I found out what Dublin meant. The older cats like to hang out under the tree and get quite cranky if you invade their space - and like the Boss Lady, they too, frown upon any dog peeing on the tree. Okay then, point taken.

Second, I had my one month check-up with the surgeon yesterday and he said my shoulder was healing very well - and ahead of schedule. I only had a second to enjoy this praise before I realized that the surgeon and the Boss Lady were scheduling my second surgery for this morning! Yikes - Talk about quick! So I head into surgery this morning for my second operation; this time it is my left shoulder that is being operated on. I won't be back home until Friday evening...I hope the kittens don't steal my bed while I am gone...

Oh, I almost forgot! The Boss Lady wanted me to thank the kind souls who donated to NEBCR in my name to help pay for my surgeries. We really appreciate the help and I am ever so grateful for this chance to run and play like other dogs my age.

We still have a loooooong way to go, though, to raise enough to cover the costs of both surgeries, so anyone who is interested can donate here


Wish me luck!

~Finnegan

Checking in

Hi Guys! I'm still here - sorry I haven't posted in a while. The Boss Lady has been really busy these last few weeks and hasn't had time to log me onto the computer.

I'm still on restricted activity though I can go for some slow walks. I am not, however, supposed to chase the squirrels we see on our walks. The Boss Lady has to keep reminding me of that part.

We've had some mild excitement here. We have two new additions to the pack. The Boss Lady brought home two kittens that had lost their mother.

This one is Fossil:


And this guy is Darwin:



They were being hand-raised by the vet staff at the place where I get my chiropractic adjustments for my shoulder and back. I thought they were pretty neat (especially after I was sure they weren't going to swat me!) Dublin isn't as excited about them as I am. Limerick is the most excited of all, though. He follows them around everywhere they go and unlike the older two cats that live here, the kittens don't seem to mind.

Kittens are weird. They don't like to play fetch but they like to chase things. Sometimes those things include my tail. That isn't as much fun for me as it seems to be for the kittens. To prevent that from happening too often, I like to distract the kittens with other potential toys. Here's a picture of me with Darwin - we're playing with a piece of paper from the paper shredder:



I'll have more to report later. The Boss Lady just brought a big pine tree into the house. I'm not sure what it is for, but I think it must be for me to use for my pee-breaks. I don't like to go outside when it is really cold or rainy now that my shoulder fur has been shaved, so the Boss Lady must have brought that in for me - she's nice like that. I'm not sure why she is decorating it though....

~Finnegan, Kitten Entertainer Extraordinaire

I'm bored....

Really, really bored.... The Boss Lady still won't let me run and play...Surely 60 days have passed by now, right? The Boss Lady says it has only been 10 days since my surgery and I have 50 more days to go yet. I can't count, so I don't know how long that is, but I hope it is only for a few more days...



Have I mentioned I'm bored? A dog can only sleep or watch TV for so long...The Boss Lady has been very nice and has tried to keep me occupied...but I want to RUN!

I did almost give the Boss Lady a heart attack earlier this week and I feel kinda bad about that...she was taking me down the front steps for my potty break when I had the urge to jump off the top step! The Boss Lady scrambled to catch me in mid-air so I wouldn't land on my shoulder. She said I "may feel a lot better, but I am not healed up yet". Not sure what she means by that, but I bet it means games of fetch are off limits still...



Sigh...have I mentioned I'm bored?


~Finnegan, the very, very bored dog...

All Things Considered, I'd like the Blue Cone Back, Please...

Just when I thought I couldn't be forced to endure any more indignities, this happens. How humiliating! I thought the blue cone was bad, but this takes the cake.

It is so humiliating I can't look at you...



The Boss Lady finally realized that I couldn't lick my stitches even if I wanted to 'cause I can't reach them. So she took off the blue cone. For a brief moment I was thrilled...then she put this shirt on me. Even though I can't lick my incision, it was awfully itchy, so I kept trying to scratch it (and the blue cone did nothing to stop that) so the Boss Lady came up with this contraption.

Ugh.

Couldn't she have at least found a blue shirt? The golden across the street keeps laughing at me whenever I go outside.


Won't you please help me?




What's that you say? It's for my own good?


You haven't been talking with the Boss Lady by any chance, have you?


~Finnegan