Halloween Costumes

Apparently I did not publish this on Halloween - oops!

Once again Chopper and I were in matching costumes this year!

Dopey was a little Grumpy about his costume

 

 

 

I've always loved Snow White so this year I finally dressed up as the princess for Halloween.  I made my costume and Chopper's (it took all weekend as my sewing abilities are very limited). 

Hope everyone had a Happy Halloween!

Working Dog

I had to work this past weekend and since the office was (mostly) deserted I brought Chopper along with me.  At home Chopper is content to lay down, have a bone, take a nap.  But at the office he wanted to hunt - he tracked down every stray crumb anyone had left behind or stash of snacks.  After two days he had found everything and he was bored.  So he sat and stared at me until I stopped working and took him home. 

Sir Chopper

Chopper has always been good with old dogs - especially lady dogs.  All the cougars seem to attract him.  They will nuzzle his face and he will sniff them so gently and never do his puppy pounce nonsense.  He's always a gentleman.

Well there is this guy in our neighborhood who has a basset hound and an older American lab - Molly.  Chopper has known the lab since he was a puppy - she's a few years older than him but the basset hound has not been around as long.  This guy always says hi to Chopper - calls his name from across the street and Chopper seems to not mind him too much. ( On a side note - I have no idea what his name is or most other people's in my neighborhood but I know their dogs' names and they all know Chopper's name - I am sure I am known as "Chopper's Mom.") Chopper is not a fan of the basset hound - when it first came he barked at it twice and now this guy reminds me every time we see him that "oh Chopper doesn't like him."  To Chopper's credit he just walks past this dog - he doesn't bark or growl - he just doesn't acknowledge that it is there.

The other day we saw the guy and the basset hound coming our way but no Molly.  I was starting to get worried as Molly has been limping a lot lately and looks tired.  As we get close to them - here comes Molly around the corner half a block away.  I have definite opinions  about basically ignoring your poor old dog on your walk but I kept them to myself.  We said "hello" and then proceed to go see Molly who by now was taking another rest in someone's front lawn.  When Chopper got to her he sniffed and did other things I can only imagine mean "hello."  Poor Molly just kept sitting there with her person half a block away.  Chopper appeared rather offended by this set up and took up a post next to Molly and proceed to stare at her human for some time as if to say "come get your dog."  The guy laughed at Chopper and then eventually kept walking with his other dog and I got Chopper to leave Molly - who proceeded to follow her human half a block behind but he kept looking back at Molly. 

It's nice to know that Chopper can be a gentleman at times.

A Sweet Treat

It has been super hot here for days.  Over the weekend I took Chopper for frozen yogurt.  He gets original flavor with bananas.  Usually I bring it home and he gobbles it out of the cup.  He was having none of that though.  He made me feed him off the spoon, even the bananas!  I'm not sure when he learned to eat that well off a spoon.  I live in constant fear that he's going to learn to open the refrigerator and if he's learning to eat off utensils without me knowing about it who knows what he's capable of.

Gimme Gimme

Someone is too tired to even eat his bone - poor Chops. We are both definitely ready for the weekend.



She Thinks My Tractor's Sexy

This dog will do anything for a few pieces of hot dog.  Including getting on a mini tractor and posing for multiple photos.

Pillow Soft

Usually I buy cheap toilet paper - nothing fancy - but my dad was visiting and he opted for something nicer.  I think we know which one Chopper votes for.

Dogs on the Bed.

Due to a long term house guest Chopper has been allowed a little more leeway with the "no dogs on the bed" rule.  He is even using my pillow now.  Sigh. 

Car Ride From Hell

Or so I was told as I was not a part of it.

Chopper has some severe separation anxiety which is pretty much under control.  There are bouts of screaming when being left at the groomers and an occasional lay down in front of the door as I try to leave but usually a piece of chicken will solve the problem.  (He has even passed the CGC test which involves supervised separation.)

Last night Chopper and I ended up at friend's house and Chopper couldn't really get in my car as it was full of boxes of furniture.  So my friend drove Chopper home and I drove my car home.  At some point I pulled up next to him and she rolled the window down and I said "hi."  This was clearly not the right move.  What followed was  a lot of whining which morphed into hysterical coonhound screaming. At one point I am told that he attempted to climb in her lap.  He weighs 70 lbs on a good day.  That's not really a lap dog. 

When we got home he practically burst out of the car and leaped in to my arms.  He was immediately freaked out by a paper bag across the street and went into crazy bark mode.  At midnight.  Fun.

Five minutes later he was back to his old self and asleep on his bed.  Oh Chopper.

Five Years and One Day

Five years and one day is how long I have managed to keep Chopper out of harm's way and keep him from getting into too much trouble.  Sure he occasionally tries to bolt out the front door while I am leaving (thanks to his separation anxiety) and I have to bribe him with sausages from Pennsylvania but that's a small price to pay.  

The bolting was originally a problem.  He did it with me, with  my mom and sister when they were visiting and with friends.  It only happened a handful of times but chasing a dog down Sunset Boulevard is not my idea of fun - watching him cross Sunset Boulevard while cars are zooming down the street is even less fun.  We have not had an incident of this since December 2007.  Until today.  Chopper was boarded for almost two weeks while I was at a conference and then vacationing in Florida. I picked him up midday and brought him home and attempted to go back to work.  That's when the trouble started. 

Chopper (who drags behind me during agility runs) weaseled his way out the screen door - I grabbed his back leg which resulted in a pig-like squeal but but he shook me off and was gone.  He was a few yards in front of me and not quite around the corner with me yelling "Chopper, come" over and over and he did quickly turn around and come back (thanks to hours of training I'm sure).  It took a few more attempts before he let me leave (including a piece of a Pennsylvania sausage) but think it will have to call it quits early today and get home to him before he decides he needs to eat a book or some other puppy behavior that he hasn't exhibited in four years.  (Personally I think he was mad his present was Pluto Mickey Ears and not sausages).