I love Miss Emily

Miss Emily's foster mom is still busy so she is spending the night again.  After the lady told me that I was a good boy for giving my spot to Miss Emily last night, I dreamt about all of the things we could do together once she is my best friend.  But first, I have to get her to notice me.  And that requires patience and a good plan.

Phase #1 - show off all of my sweet Robin moves.

This is my new friend Miss Emily

She is staying with me for the weekend while her foster lady is busy.  Miss Emily is 10 years old, and I want to play with her so bad.  She seems much more amen-able to circus games than "The Ancient One" these days, and if she were my dog I would change her name to "Little Robin," and carry her around like I was an opossum and put her in a pouch made of leaves and sticks from the backyard.

I think she wants to play with me, because she lets me smell her bottom and her ears and doesn't get snooty at me like ahem, certain dogs I know.  We sat on the couch tonight all nice and quiet, but Miss Emily had different ideas.

First she started moving around.  I think to get into a better spot to play.

And then she turned around and sort of just stood there while I watched.

I didn't know what to do so I stood real quiet because maybe she was going to do some nuzzling or a little wrestling with me.

Oh Miss Emily, my name is Antici-pation!

So I got up to do my Robin-move, and she layed down right in my spot.

Miss Emily didn't move.

This turned out to be a very dumb game.  

Gratuitous self promotion

I was imagining that if I could make bumper stickers for me, that I wouldn't be able to just pick one sentence to describe all of my Robin-ness.

They would have to make as many as I have toes, or there would need to be one for every dream I have about my forever family finding me one day.  There will be one for you too, Winnie!  After training today, I dreamt about all of the bumper stickers for me.  They would be...

Robin has a Butter Face
Robin Loves a Flirt Pole
Robin Baby
Robin is the Squeaky Master
Robin Gives Better Hugs than your Honor Student
You Can't Get a Good Robin Down
Robin is So Good
Robin Makes the Ladies Smile
Want to be my Body Pillow?

If you can't remember all of them, that's okay.   I just picked my favorites for you.

Sunning Sunday

The lady said getting me outside to pee last week was a "painful process."  See, it was raining so hard, and she wouldn't let me pee right outside the sliding door where it's dry.  She made me go walk on the slimy, slinky grass and all I could think of was that my feeties felt like when Sweet Pee pushed me in the pool.  And I couldn't do it.  And then it got worse because I had to go sit in the crate if I didn't pee.  She was right, it was a very "painful process" for me because I thought maybe the pee would just go away after I told it "No!  You can't come out, you bad pee.  It's too slimy outside, and I won't fall in the pool for you."  But it didn't listen. And she made me do it.

My little heart is grateful it was a sunning-Sunday today.  Even if the lady stuck the video in my nose again.  It was perfectly toasty, and I didn't have any pee problems at all.

First bounce, then graze.

This is Barney.

Barney is still a puppy even though he's my same size and I am already one year old.  Barney came to stay with me a few weeks ago because he was shy and he just had his baby makers cut out and the lady wanted to get him to "settle" before he could get adopted by a family.  She also said he needed to have his Confidence built around other dogs and especially loud things, and I am perfect for this job.  Want to play Barney?  I can show you all of the best rocks to bark at and play with at the lady and Man's house.  Want to pee or graze on something Barney?  I know the best plants.  Want me to chew on your ear Barney?   I can schedule that in, no problem, you'll have your Confidence built in no time.

When Barney first came to live here, we went on a lot of walks together, and I always got to be first everywhere.  First in the door, first to smell whatever I wanted to smell, and first to come back to gulp the water.  Then, I got to play and get tummy rubs while baby Barney had to go to his crate.  I don't know how that builds his confidence, but it was okay by me.  I like to be first.  Barney had to stay in his crate a lot, and I could watch him through the baby gate, and then he could be out of his crate but not out of the gate.  For the whole first two weeks it was "Yes this, but Not that."  Sigh it felt like the first day of graduation all over again when all I wanted to do was play.  

Even though I tried to persuade her, the lady said my way doesn't work.  My general rule of thumb about Confidence Building** is forget the baby gate and skip the stupid crate.  Ping pong and bounce, and then graze, I say!  Then repeat until the baby gets it.  And do that in the backyard.

**Note - I am the lady, and even though Robin says he has a better way of introducing two dogs, don't listen to him, okay?  He is, in fact, just a dog.  Here are much better rules of thumb from BADRAP.

Spongy Tender Robin

The lady told me that I have been showing everyone the spunky parts of my per-so-nality and how good I am at training, and why I would be so good to adopt, but she said no one has seen the "Spongy Tender Robin" yet.  Not just my belly or the insides of my ears, she said, but how I am a gentle cuddler at the end of the day and how I fit so perfectly almost anywhere because I am so small.  So I made a video of my quiet time with the Man.

Saturday squeaky