New Friends!

Life has certainly been busy, what with the ground drying up after the snow left, going to the new dog park, seeing my old neighborhood friends cuz everyone's outside again, and meeting new people.

Mom told me that someone named Kari was coming to meet me, but I wasn't sure what it was all about. I figured I'd think about it when she came. Well. She did. And right from the start she made me THINK! What's with that?!? Mom and I had a routine. Someone comes in, I bark to let them know they should think twice about pulling any funny business, they come in the house, where I bark to emphasize that I'm in charge, although I also have to keep away from mom. If she catches me I have to listen to her and at least sit, even if I don't stop barking.

Kari stopped on the OTHER side of the gate! She changed the rules! AND she brought CHEESE! Ohmigosh! What's a pup to do? I barked. She turned around. You heard right - she turned around and ignored me! How rude! I ask you, what's the point in barking if the person I'm barking AT doesn't pay attention? So I stopped. And she turned around. So I started barking again, and she turned around AGAIN. I was stumped. I just stopped barking and stared. She turned around fast, and gave me some cheese!!! Wow! Suffice to say that it was a very confusing visit, but very rewarding too! There was learning to look at her face instead of the treats, sit and be quiet (yuck!) instead of barking, and then this weird thing where she kept moving the cheese over my shoulder until I laid on my side. Hey, I got cheese when I did it, so okay, I'd lay on my side.

As if all this weren't strange enough, MOM's been acting this way ever since Kari left! And there's something about 'at ease' and 'relax', but just telling you this much has worn me out all over again, and I haven't told you about my other new friend.

Yesterday Mom and I went to the dog park, and there were WAY too many rowdy, noisy dogs. As usual, Mom was talking to everybody (Note from Mom: I was not!). Well LOT'S of people anyway. In fact, at one point she went out of the park to the car and left me inside! Yes, she came right back, but still....

Anyway, the next thing you know, there's a really nice young lady who's talking to Mom, but really looking at me. So of course I showed her my best tricks - Toast, Touchdown, Rock & Roll, and such. And of course, she was impressed! We kept running into her the whole time we were at the park, which was just fine by me because I knew she was admiring me the whole time she pretended to talk to Mom. They eventually sat down at a picnic table and were just yakking and yakking, so I took a nap underneath the table. I must admit, Cutie (that's what I call her) was very dog-sensitive. She helped Mom keep the water bowl full, and admired all the pups that came up to take a drink. A very well brought up girl, I thought.

Soooo, now we have 2 new friends! And it's not even full Spring yet! Looks like this is going to be a very fun year!