Dugan's Dog House

Rest in Peace Farley

2012-01-03T08:31:00.000-05:00

My humans and I are sad beyond words. My best pal Farley has crossed the Rainbow Bridge way too soon. God must truly have needed an exceptional dog to be by his side. Rest in peace Farley. You will live in our hearts forever.

Hope everyone had a very Merry Christmas

2011-12-26T19:55:00.003-05:00

Greetings family and friends.... my apologies once again for my absence...... my Mom promises a "New Year's resolution" to do better in 2012. In her defense, we have had a lot of stuff going on at our house which has not left Mom much time to blog. My Mom and Dad did something called "remodeling" to our kitchen.....I don't know what that means, but to me it meant a nice man name Mike who came to my house every day and brought me cookies....he made all our cupboards in the kitchen look real nice and then he had some other men come and put in new kitchen floor and carpet in the family room and then a guy put in something called molding and then there was a painter.... I know him from a couple of years ago... his Mom had a Golden. Anyway, what was supposed to take about 2 weeks, turned into nearly a 2 plus month project.

My Dad had a birthday while I was on a blogging leave of absence and then there was Thanksgiving. And I went back to my Dr. Jeff and received an excellent report on my health -- my liver issues are stable and my weight is good and compared to a year ago at this time, all is absolutely right with the world.

Which brings us to Christmas......I received several gifts for which I am very grateful.... let me address them one at a time...

First, a few weeks before Christmas, I got a package in the mail for my pals, Augie and Ti......I know it was mine because I saw my name on the package.....Mom opened it and promptly whisked it away to a Christmas stocking that was not mine.... did she think she was tricking me?!? I know that is not my stocking -- mine is the one that says, "I love my Dog".....and there my present remained until Christmas morning...... some nonsense about I would "rip it to shreds" ...... SHEESH! A guy can't even have his own gift....

See, there is my present from Augie and Ti in some "no-name" sock.....Thanks very much guys... when I finally got your present, it was awesome.

Let me just give you a quick run through of what else this lucky Golden Boy received for Christmas...here are my gifts from my bestest pal Farley......

I got a mini-lunch box with peanut butter cookies inside and a 35 lb. box of round peanut butter treats.... wait, what Mom??? Oh, sorry, it is a 3.5 lb. box....35 lbs..... ha ha ha... in my dreams... THANKS FARLEY, YOU'RE THE BEST!

And then on Christmas Eve, we had a some what altered tradition. My older brother's girlfriend Sophie always used to come over on Christmas Eve with her humans. Perhaps you will recall that Sophie crossed the "Rainbow Bridge" in January. We still miss her everyday. But, to my surprise, her humans kept the tradition going and came to visit me anyway. They brought me a "Hickory Farms" gift box.....

It's really dog toys made to look like "Hickory Farm" stuff, but I loved it and they also brought me a few packages of "Milo Kitchen" treats. If you haven't tried them, I give them 2 paws up -- delicious!!! Thanks Sophie's humans.... you are so special to me.

And then came Christmas morning......look what Santa brought this "good" boy...

I got a new bed.... the striped thing on the bottom.... a treat puzzle (on your right) and a new stuffie that my Mom laid carefully on my new bed so that no one would know that I totally destroyed it already.

I am truly a lucky boy. I hope all my friends had a wonderful holiday too. The holidays make a guy really tired so I am just going to lie by the tree and the fireplace and count my blessings.....God bless us every one!!

Quanantined!!

2011-10-30T20:04:00.001-04:00

Have you seen this man?!? If so, proceed with extreme caution or better yet, DO NOT approach at all. You must consider this innocent looking face as ...... Coughing and extremely CONTAGIOUS!!

Yes, friends, it is true I am dangerous.... I have some how been stricken with the highly contagious "Kennel Cough". Strangely enough, it seems that I managed to succumb to this situation at, of all places, my doctor's office..... what is wrong with this picture.

I am quarantined for at least 10 days.... had to alert all my neighbor friends -- three sides of my house -- I can go for a walk, but can't meet any new friends or say "Hi" to any old friends.... I am a coughing prisoner in my own home. Since I cough all night, here is what I do all day....

I can sleep all day, but my Mom and Dad are not so lucky.... I keep them up all night with my coughing and they don't have the luxury of napping all day. So, we will send you this message....... If you haven't been vaccinated against "Kennel Cough".... have the humans take you right now, or tomorrow morning at the very latest. Trust me friends, this is not something you want to get. You feel like something is stuck in your throat and you can't get it out. AND, worst of all, the noise that comes out of your mouth makes you sound like a Canadian Goose...... wait, there is also the whole 4 MORE PILLS a day for me ..... you will recall I have those ongoing liver issues which require 4 other pills a day..... my insides are a mini-pharmacy..... GET VACCINATED against Kennel Cough -- trust me on this one.

In will report back in a few days as to where I have been for the last month or so.... although my Mom is a slacker, it's not all her fault. Hope you all had a better weekend than I did.

I wish I had my very own boy......

2011-09-05T17:34:00.000-04:00

A young human boy my Mom and Dad call a "grandson" came to visit me on Saturday.... what a great way to spend the unofficial last Saturday of Summer.........

We played in the yard and I got lots of hugs on the floor......I slept with my monkey stuffie (well, not so stuffed anymore) on my back while the humans ate dinner.......

And then suddenly, "my boy" had to go home.........

One last hug and off they went...... my Mom and Dad give me endless love, but sometimes a guy just has to play with a boy of his own. Come back soon human boy, I had great fun.

Hey.... can I run in that sprinkler too?..................

2011-08-14T19:13:00.001-04:00

Howdy friends.... in my five years, I have discovered that summer brings out my favorite things (other than the extreme heat)..... stuff like my pool, my humans sitting outside with me... and those beloved little people who want to endlessly pet me.....

These two little people were playing in their Grandma and Grandpa's sprinkler when suddenly, they preferred to play with me..... obviously gifted children. :o) I soaked up the attention ....

That one little person is running back to the sprinkler.... hey wait...what about me .... couldn't I go in the sprinkler.... I love water.... wait, wait for me........Oh well, I love the attention more than the sprinkler :o) Hope all my friends had a good weekend :o)

Definition of "The Dog Days of Summer"

2011-08-07T18:56:00.001-04:00

Greetings friends.....Please view the formal definition of "The Dog Days of Summer".....


Find a Summer sunbeam, lie down so it shines on your face, and be a dog = "Dog Days of Summer"

Summer time..........and the living is easy.......

2011-07-10T16:43:00.000-04:00

MEGA heat has descended on my Michigan home...... but I made the best of it hanging out at the beach (OK, it was my swimming pool, but I pretended it was the beach).......

Swimming can make a guy really tired so I decided to take a nap -- nearly everything makes me decide to take a nap.

Hope all my friends had a nice, lazy weekend.

A Wonderful Day at Farley's House.....

2011-07-04T16:38:00.000-04:00

Greetings to everyone and Happy Fourth of July. I had a big weekend. I got to take a road trip to my bestest pal Farley's house. We had a blast despite the extreme heat..... oh and then there was that whole giant storm thing.

Here' s Farley and I being good boys. I will refer you now to Farley's blog (1000goldens.com) for all the highlights of the day. Farley's Mom has a better camera and took many more pictures. You'll see all the fun we had.

HAPPY FATHER'S DAY!!

2011-06-19T19:32:00.000-04:00

I hope all the Dads had a very special day.... I know my Dad did. My humans had some yummy smelling dinner ... I think they called it Prime Rib. All I know is that it not only smelled good, but the few little morsels they gave me, tasted fabulous. But of course like all fabulous tasting things, I was not allowed to have much of it. Oh well, I am not the Dad.


Shadow (he's the little one that sleeps all the time) and I got Dad a bunch of presents .... OK....Mom got them, but it was me and Shadow's allowance that paid for them. I helped Dad open stuff.... I made a mess.... I LOVE MY DAD!!!!

From 59 degrees to FABULOUS!!

2011-05-30T16:38:00.000-04:00

All the humans I know were complaining this past Friday, that the temperature was only in the 50's -- May 27th and only in the 50's. Then on Saturday it climbed into the low 70's but it was kind of cloudy. Sunday got even warmer -- in the 80's, but the early evening brought some pretty nasty weather here in lower Michigan. But then there was today!!!!! We graciously accepted a considerable amount of humidity because it came along with bright sunshine and nearly NINETY degrees............Check out my pictorial of how I spent my afternoon....

My wonderful swimming pool -- life is good!

Please note how I have naturally "crimped" hair on my ears !


All cooled down and surveying my domain.

I hope everyone had a very Happy Memorial Day weekend and that we all took a moment to remember those who paid the ultimate price so that we can enjoy days like this and our freedom. God Bless America!!!!

Wait, I remember this....it's WARM!!

2011-05-22T19:05:00.000-04:00

At last, we have warm weather and no rain.......I spent my weekend enjoying the great outdoors....

I think I will just roll over and snooze for awhile;.............................

Excuse me, I was sleeping if you don't mind...................

It was a wonderful weekend -- hope yours was too. Oh and did I mention it was my Mom's birthday?!? And if he didn't speak up, this weekend also included my best pal Farley's Dad's birthday too. Hope his birthday was as good as my Mom's........wait, they have me and Farley.... what's not good about that?!?

Rain, Rain, go away.....

2011-05-15T19:35:00.004-04:00

It was a wet and ugly weekend....no walks, no time on the deck or in the yard.... no joy in mudville. Look at the rain.....It's in the front yard.....

It's in the back yard and on my deck.....

There's a big piece of broken tree in my yard...

It's pouring, I'm coming in.....

I think I'll take a nap until it dries up out there....

I hope next weekend is dry!

I love my Mom.....

2011-05-08T19:35:00.000-04:00

Happy Mother's Day to my Mom and all of my friend's Moms. I made Dad give me some extra "allowance" so that I could buy her some of her favorite perfume. But the best part of Mother's Day is hugging my Mom.....

Wordless Wednesday

2011-05-04T12:45:00.002-04:00

Clean Me.....

2011-05-01T19:29:00.000-04:00

We had a very nice weekend despite a lot of rain ..... my humans talked about building an "ark". I don't know what that means, but Mom said something about rain for 40 days and 40 nights and a whole bunch of animals?? Instead of just putting me out in the rain to get clean, Mom insisted we go to "Shampooch" so that I could have a proper bath. I pretend to be a brat, but I actually kind of like the place. Mom gives me a bath, all the employees pet me, Mom cuts my toe nails and I come out looking ever so handsome..... see for yourself....please note the fluffy fur and my creamy colored hair looking quite "UN-dirty"

I love a good bath, but it does take it's toll on my energy level so I decided to take a nap on the birthday prize that Augie and Ti gave me.....

Life is good......and now it is clean too. Hope everyone else had a good weekend too. Oh and I almost forgot.. Mom and Dad got me a membership at my city's new Dog Park ... it opens in a few weeks, I am very excited to meet all kinds of new friends.... Augie and Ti live in my city, I hope they join the park too.

Happy Easter from me and "Shadow"

2011-04-24T19:25:00.001-04:00

Here's me and "Shadow" with our Easter Bunnies......who is "Shadow" you ask?!? Shadow is a stuffed Golden puppy --- please humor her, my Mom thinks he is real but I know that Dad bought him at the Hallmark store -- he is a "Purrfect Pet" and is actually pretty cool. He breathes like a real dog, but it is a battery, trust me...... I must admit though, I check on him every morning to make sure he is still breathing. We each have an Easter Bunny and enjoyed a very nice weekend. Hope you did too.
HAPPY EASTER to all!!

He's not coming... REALLY?!?

2011-04-17T19:36:00.000-04:00

I can't believe it. I was so looking forward to my best pal Farley coming to my house for our annual Thanksgiving in April dinner and suddenly, I still can't believe it..... there are Farley's humans coming through my front door and I kept looking out and ..... could this be true?!? NO FARLEY?!? What on earth has gone wrong here, why didn't anyone tell me Farley has a sore hip --- a guy gets his hopes up and then the humans trick you -- it's just not right. I was soooooooooooo depressed that my buddy could not come, I sulked on the floor....

Then the humans broke out the turkey and the "works"........ Sorry Farley -- I pigged out on your humans attention and ate some tasty turkey. But I made my Mom send some food home with your Mom... did she share it with you?? I hope you at least got a little piece of turkey. I wish you could have been here buddy -- I totally missed you. Mom says we can come to your house in the Summer though..... How long till Summer is it?????

Hooray -- It's finally my BIRTHDAY!

2011-04-12T19:50:00.000-04:00

Greetings Friends and Family -- FINALLY it is my real Birthday and I can have my "prizes" -- I have waited so long for my day to arrive -- I am FIVE you know.... my humans are more excited about my Birthday than me. -- something about me being sick a while ago..... I made it -- I am invincible (I hope) and it is my Birthday!! I want to thank Augie & Ti for their wonderful stuffie gift and my best friend Farley for the "amazin" ball and awesome treats -- I have been playing with my new treats and toys non-stop. Oh and of course my humans -- they gave me a lizard, treats, FROSTY PAWS and Angel Food cake......enough words, I will just share the Birthday magic in pictures.........

What a wonderful Birthday! Thanks Farley, Augie & Ti and my Humans for all my prizes. And thanks for everyone who held good thoughts and prayed for me to get better.

It's my Birthday and I am doing well !!! Life is good!

My Mom is a "meany"..............

2011-04-10T19:41:00.002-04:00

Can you believe that my Mom is a total "meany"?!? I got a package in the mail this past Friday from my pals Augie and Ti --- clearly a birthday prize for me and guess what???? My Mom is a stickler for absolutely no presents (prizes as we call them) before a guys "actual" birthday. So I have to wait till Tuesday....... could Mom be any more mean, I ask you?? Ignore her Augie and Ti -- I want to sincerely thank you for sending me a "prize" and as soon as I can open it, I will thank you even more. You and your humans are truly good people. I thought Mom would weaken over the weekend, but....................

Awwww Mom.....please.........

Come on Mom. the package squeaks and everything -- I can't wait till Tuesday.................

My Mom does have some redeeming features.... I saw "Frosty Paws" and some Angel Food Cake in the grocery bags today and there is a pretty reliable rumor that my bestest pal Farley is coming over this upcoming weekend..... could it be???... my Birthday and our April "Thanksgiving" dinner all in the same week?!? A guy could get overwhelmed...................

THANKS AUGIE AND TI -- I will open it soon -- and thank your Mom for getting the cushy envelope and going to the Post office and everything ... we are truly grateful :o)

Please forgive my absence, I have been busy....

2011-04-02T20:37:00.001-04:00

Greeting blogging and other friends.... I ask your forgiveness for my absence, but I have been terribly busy GAINING weight! For friends who follow my blog and my other friends and family, you all know I was pretty sick before the holidays and in to the New Year. Since late October, I have had some serious liver problems, multiple medical tests and a daily regiment of pills. Well, apparently, the pills are finally working. All of the bad levels of "liver function stuff" that I had going on have either gone WAY down or back into a normal range. My humans are very happy! We know that because I was born with an abnormally small liver, my issues will continue, but as long as the medicine keeps working, my liver will work. And, the best sign that everything is working is weight gain.... and I have been gaining weight like a pig! When I got sick, I went from about 85 lbs. down to 74 lbs in a very short amount of time. Now, I have rebounded to a glorious 87.7 lbs. I am a close to being a healthy and happy "big boy" !.... take a look at me thriving.....

I am basically what rude people would call FAT, but in my world, fat is good because it mean my liver is working so my friends, remember, fat is good. And, I have a birthday coming up in a little over a week -- something my humans thought we would not get to celebrate but, hey..... a guy has got to turn FIVE don't you think?!? Thanks Dr. Jeff, Dr. P and my two specialists....you all gave me a second chance at growing hopefully a lot older. My humans and I are very grateful.

Winter Wonderland...?!?!?

2011-02-13T19:07:00.001-05:00

Let me just say that I for one happen to LOVE winter. I tend to be sort of a "hot box" so when the weather gets cold, I am at my finest. Let me just lie around outside and enjoy the cold and all is right with my world. I am especially happy when my Mom takes me for winter walks.... like today. We walked around our block.... up the other street ... and then ended up in that giant field behind where the little humans go to learn stuff..... OK MOM, it's the Elementary School.... excuuuuuuuuuuse me! Anyway, I don't much care about the school, give me the play ground and I am a happy boy....

And then there was the GIANT snow storm we had at the beginning of the month.... Michigan got off easy compared to the rest of the country, but we still got the most snow I have seen in my lifetime. I couldn't venture out past the small spot my humans shoveled out for me to "take care of business". I did however, continue to stand guard at my huge doorwall to make sure there were not trespassers in my backyard. I was handling the task quite well when suddenly.... Holy Ka-Moly .... what is that?!? MOM!!!! There is a giant CONDOR in my backyard....

What Mom??.... It is not a Condor?!?..... A small Hawk???.... Are you sure??..... OK, A small Hawk, but it is ripping something to shreds in my backyard........

Good Grief Mom, it is eating a bird...... I am disturbed on two levels.... First: If there are things to be eaten in my yard, I will do the eating and Second: What kind of mental case bird eats one of their own species?!? That is just wrong.......Maybe I don't like winter after all.......c'mon SPRING!!!!!!

Woo-hooooo, I got mail ...

2011-02-06T20:21:00.000-05:00

I have been feeling a little better lately..... and then I felt a lot better when my Dad went out to get the mail yesterday. Mind you, I don't get very much mail. My bestest pal Farley gets mail, Augie and Ti get mail, Sugar gets mail, etc, etc, etc, .... I got to thinking that maybe a guy has to send mail to get mail.....HELLO!!.. Mom!!... let's send mail. But, in the mean time, I got mail from Augie & Ti....

Wooo --hooo... it's a Valentine's Day prize!!!........What?!?.... MOM?!?..... what do you mean I can't have the treats inside this glorious package until Valentine's Day?!?..........

Good news... Mom got weak and let me have a couple of the delicious heart-shaped treats in the box and they were awesome!!

This wonderful treat from my fellow "Cantonites" (here in Michigan) -- Augie & Ti was such a nice surprise -- THANKS SO MUCH GUYS -- these treats are awesome and getting something in the mail is the absolute best thing ever

:o)

Wordless Wednesday...

2011-02-02T16:50:00.000-05:00

On a serious note....

2011-01-17T19:24:00.001-05:00

Greetings fellow bloggers and friends -- Dugan is reluctantly allowing his Mom to talk to you (I'm the one he calls the "slacker"). There will be no pictures in this post, just some very heart felt THANKS from all of Dugan's family and all of Sophie's family.

I have a picture of Dugan on my wall at work with a quotation under the photo. I don't know who the quote is from, but it reads,"Until one has loved an animal, a part of one's soul remains unawakened" . Over the course of the last few months, it has become very clear to me that there are so many people out there whose souls ARE "awakened" because they understand what it means to love an animal.

The kind thoughts and words that have been sent wishing Dugan well and expressing sympathy on the loss of sweet Sophie have meant more to my family and to Sophie's family than we can ever begin to tell you. From Dugan's past blogs, you might know that Sophie's Dad had moved to New Jersey a while back and Sophie and her Mom moved there in the summer last year -- not nearly long enough to establish friends that could understand the pain of losing Sophie. Her Mom read all the comments on Dugan's blog and saw that "dog friends" are everywhere and share our sorrow. We are grateful for every thought, prayer or kind word. Dog people truly are the BEST!

I am currently scanning the archives for a walk down memory lane with Sophie and our first Golden, Lager, and then Sophie with Dugan -- I will post some happy photo memories soon. Until then, again, THANKS so very much.

A sad start to the New Year....

2011-01-03T17:16:00.000-05:00

My family and I are heartbroken this day --- our beautiful friend Sophie has crossed the rainbow bridge. She shared a wonderful 13-1/2 years with her family and friends and there is a hole in our hearts. We are so grateful for the time we had with her at Christmas. Please keep Sopie's family (especially her Mom) in your thoughts and prayers. She was one beautiful lady and I will miss her more than I can ever tell you.

Rest in peace Sophie -- we will always love you.

MERRY CHRISTMAS!

2010-12-24T17:54:00.003-05:00

Greetings to all my friends and family. I have been silent for a couple of months now. If you follow my friend Farley's blog, you know that I have been very sick. I have a serious liver problem, but as we celebrate this Christmas holiday I am feeling a little bit better so I wanted to take a moment to wish you all a very MERRY CHRISTMAS and a New Year filled with love, good health and happiness.

I would also like to give a very warm and heartfelt THANK YOU to my best friend Farley and his humans and my friends Augie & Ti and their humans for all their well wishes and caring support... you have all helped me and my humans survive this ordeal and we are all truly grateful. And thanks to all who posted well wishes to me on my blog and Farley's -- every kind word, thought or prayer has been greatly appreciated.

Enjoy a few pictures of my annual visit with my beautiful Sophie (she's my 13-1/2 year old friend) and me. "Merry Christmas to all and to all a good night" :o)

P.S. My Mom will update you on my health after the first of the year. :o)

What a wonderful day!

2010-10-24T20:02:00.000-04:00

So, perhaps you will remember, last weekend, I got loaded into the car twice and I ended up at my Doc's and then at "Shampooch", my bath house. Well, yesterday, Mom loaded me into the car again. Here's me in the back seat...

This trip was strangely different... we didn't go the same way.... we drove for a really long time..... I was restless.... up and down, up and down.... Mom thought I was hot... it was raining off and on..... Mom put the air conditioning on in the car to cool me down.... I was still restless..... driving, driving, driving. Then suddenly a bumpy road. One turn, then another, then one more.... all of a sudden I knew where we were. Look up the road MOM!!!! It's Farley's house!!!!! I love you Mom for bringing me to Farley's house...

Farley and I ran and ran and ran ... no fences, I love Farley's house.

Farley's Mom cooked some yummy lunch ...

Farley and I got none of their good lunch, but we sat like good boys anyway...

We played all day...it was wonderful...

And then, as always, good things must end. Mom and I had to go home. Thanks for having me over Farley.... I had a great day!! Oh and sorry about messing up your human's rug... sometimes car travel makes my stomach kind of a mess. Feel free to return the "mess" at my house any time :o)

I'm baaaaaaaaack.....

2010-10-16T20:57:00.001-04:00

Hi Friends! Strangely enough, I have been absent for awhile through absolutely no fault of my Mom's. She has not been slacking this time, but rather the victim of technical difficulties in the computer world........OK, so her computer wigged out and she couldn't upload photos. But, with some support and guidance from Farley's Mom, and some technical genius from one of my Mom's co-workers (thanks A.D.) we are back in business. Rather than bore you all with the details of the past few weeks, I'll just give you a few visuals of what I have been up to.......

Mom and I played a little tennis.....

Well, actually, we just tossed a tennis ball around on this big painted green sidewalk that was all closed in and divided by a net. For heaven's sake people, once again, I have no thumbs.... I can't play tennis!

Then, my Dad had a birthday. It was great fun. As much as I love my Dad, I love birthdays even more. I mean there is tissue paper to be shredded, gifts to be slobbered all over... the fun never ends.

OK, so I made a bit of a mess. Look on the bright side Dad, I didn't rip up any of your gifts.

Birthdays are so exhausting...

That's about all I have been up to. Hope all is well with my blogger buddies. See you soon.

Wordless Wednesday.....

2010-09-22T18:01:00.001-04:00

What a day!!!

2010-09-06T17:18:00.000-04:00

Happy Labor Day Friends -- hope you are all enjoying the long weekend.....If you don't mind, I will tell you about mine.....

It started out when my Mom arrived home from work on Friday. She changed her clothes and I thought we were going for a walk, but instead, I was whisked into the car and away we went. It didn't take long for me to figure out where we were going......the VET! Lucky for my Mom I love my Dr. Jeff and that's a good thing because I have to go there alot. Mom says nice boys don't talk about my ailment so let me just say that it has something to do with the malfunction of some very unpleasant smelling glands -- enough said. If you have been there, you understand and if not, trust me, you don't want to know. So in addition to that whole issue we don't discuss, I also had to get a shot and some junk scraped off my "pointy" teeth. Dr. Jeff has cleaned some stuff off my teeth the last two times I have been there -- something about I am such a good boy that I don't have to be sedated to get those big teeth cleaned. I am OK for the first couple of scrapes and then I have had enough -- Dr. Jeff knows the drill and does not push my patience.

Then came Saturday. Mom did some stuff around the house and then suddenly I was whisked into the car again. We went a different route this time..... but then I instantly knew where we were going.... A BATH! I was being hauled into Shampooch -- the self-service dog wash. I was pretty dirty so I tried to behave. About an hour later, back to the car -- a whole new, clean and sweet smelling Dugan.

Later Saturday evening and on into Sunday morning, the human's were engaging in a great deal of activity. Cleaning, chopping veggies, putting stuff in bowls, fussing with some giant dead bird that smelled really good ... I knew something was up. I stood at the front door thinking that someone must be coming to visit....

I waited and waited and then.........could it be true.... it IS true.... my very bestest pal Farley is here again -- a second visit in less than a month. And this time he brought both his humans. We blew through my house and almost took out the screen door -- we were so happy to see each other.

The humans were having Turkey AGAIN.......my Mom really does know how to cook other stuff, but Dad and Mom wanted to try grilling a turkey so they made Farley's humans the "guiney pigs" for their experiment. Farley and I made sure they were doing it right...

And of course we had to check out the snacks...

And then it was time for the humans to eat.

Farley and I took a nap.

What do you mean the party's over??

Bye Farley, come back soon -- I had a blast ...

Today I mostly spent doing this...

What a great weekend -- hope yours was too.

It's all about friends...

2010-08-23T19:32:00.000-04:00

Well, if you caught Farley's Saturday blog, you know we had a complete afternoon of fun and our Moms hung out together too. The day provided us with quality play time, good friends and unfortunately, a major amount of rain. Now normally, my Mom and Farley's Mom would put the "kabosh" on us wandering around in the rain.... it's apparently that whole muddy feet, "not on my clean floor" thing.....but Saturday was strangely different. Not only did our Moms let us play in the rain, they actually took us for a walk in it.....pure heaven..... we stepped in every puddle we encountered, drenching our hairy little toes...what bliss!

Here is my "Mom has lost her mind face".....

Look how wet we are -- Farley and I couldn't believe such nonsense was being allowed, but we savored every minute of it... days like this do not come along too often. Check it out, Farley has naturally curly hair.

What?!?.....no, wait .... we don't want to go home...

Oh man.....c'mon, I know Farley's Dad -- he won't be mad that we got the car all wet.... he loves us...I think maybe even when we are wet. But, off we went to get dry. What a good time we had while it lasted.

I love the little people

2010-08-08T18:56:00.002-04:00

Howdy friends. Hope everyone had a great weekend. I have spent the last week or so getting to know a little person that has taken up temporary residence in the house behind mine. She is something they refer to as a "grandaughter" and she is just my size. Actually, I am waaaaaaaaaaay bigger than her, but when I sit like a good boy, we see the world eye to-eye. She lets me lick her fingers and nose through the fence and she has this tiny little dog named "Bella". Bella has been staying at her grandparents house for awhile now. My humans tell me it is something to do with the little girl's parents got "transferred" to a different state and they live in a "no dog" apartment until they can find a house that they want to buy.

Bella is OK, but gee whiz, she is so tiny.... what kind of dog is that?!? Here is Bella, the little person and me....

I have grown quite fond of the little person.... but my humans tell me she is not going to be in the backyard too much longer... look how fun she is though....

I told my Mom and Dad I want to keep her...... they said "no". Parents, what can I do with them?!?

Wordless Wednesday

2010-08-04T20:04:00.000-04:00

New Jersey bound....

2010-08-01T17:25:00.002-04:00

Greetings friends.... once again, it's been a long time. My Mom doesn't mean to be a slacker, she just gets real busy so I just forgive her.

You all remember our Sophie.... if not, here is a little refresher. She is the girlfriend of my human's first Golden. Mom and I stop by to visit her lots of times when we walk and she still comes over every Christmas to exchange gifts. She is a sweet and very pretty older lady.. she's 13 now and we will always love her. Her Dad moved to New Jersey (work stuff) a couple years ago and her Mom stayed behind so that Sophie's human sisters could graduate from High School here in Michigan. Well, her youngest human sister graduated in June. So, Sophie and her Mom had to leave for New Jersey. Her human sisters will stay here because they are both attending college in Michigan, but are not home enough to take care of Sophie.... not to mention Sophie's Mom would NEVER leave her behind so off they went to New Jersey last Tuesday.

We said our goodbyes the weekend before they left and it was quite sad. My humans love Sophie as if she was their own and they are VERY fond of her humans too so it was tough on all of us. Sophie loves my Dad... when she was younger, her Mom could drop her leash a block away from my house and Sophie would come running down the street to see my Dad.

We hope that Sophie can come back at Christmas, but in the mean time, we all miss her and her humans alot.

Here are some pictures from Sophie's pre-New Jersey visit ...... I will let the photos speak for themselves but let me just say that the first one is my favorite... she is still one pretty lady even as she ages -- I think you will agree.....

Bye Soph.... hope we will see you soon

Wordless Wednesday

2010-07-14T18:57:00.001-04:00

Excuse me buster.....

2010-07-05T20:12:00.003-04:00

It's the Fourth of July weekend -- Hope everyone had a happy and safe holiday. If you live here in Michigan or on the east coast, it is no surprise to you when I say it is incredibly HOT! So hot in fact that my Mom took me for a long walk this morning before 9 AM....unheard of....she didn't even shower...mind you my Mom doesn't come downstairs from the bedroom area without a shower and make-up much less venture out in public...trust me, it's HOT!!!! Even though we walked early, a hairy guy like me nearly passed out from the heat ....I was begging Mom...home, NOW....I am going to throw up....I didn't, but it is always good to prepare Mom for heat exhaustion. The weekend has been relatively uneventful except for the heat. I got to go swimming every day and it was wonderful......Mom didn't want to show swimming pictures again so soon.... me in the pool can get pretty boring.

I did however, have an encounter with the EASTER BUNNY in MY front yard. There I was surverying my street---it IS my street, no trespassers allowed without permission....when suddenly, not just on my street, but in MY yard....there he was, the EASTER BUNNY!!! Excuse me BUSTER, but this is MY yard and your hoiliday was months ago......

Are you really in my yard?!? How dare you varmit?!? You're lucky you didn't venture into my backyard, I would have run you out of "Dodge" in record time.....

You better run bunny.. I won't warn you again...

Wait.... sorry... did you want to play??.....I won't eat you, I promise, please stay and play. My friends next door are up North on vacation.... no one to play with... OK, I understand, it was that whole "you were in my yard thing" right??....I didn't mean anything by it.... please come back......

He's gone....oh well. there will be other bunnies..... Bye for now friends :o)

HAPPY FATHER'S DAY!!

2010-06-20T19:36:00.003-04:00

Howdy Friends -- Hope everyone had a great weekend and a very Happy Father's Day. I love my Dad and I hope he enjoyed his day playing golf with his human son, grandson and my Mom (who knew Mom played golf ... apparently she used to play, but hasn't since before I was born -- Dad said she did good).

In honor of the day, I bought my Dad a couple of presents... we call them "prizes" at my house so in the future if you hear me say "prizes", it means presents OK? I got Dad a Detroit Tigers T-shirt, a big thick book he wants to read, and two cards..... I got the TISSUE PAPER!!! It's my favorite thing in the whole world to shred.

Here's Dad's T-shirt...

Here's me with the tissue paper...

Hey! I was saving that piece ....

Hope all you Dads out there had a great day. One more HAPPY FATHER'S DAY to my Dad and to my best friend Farley's Dad... they are the BEST!!!!

Debating forgiveness

2010-05-31T16:57:00.001-04:00

Greetings Friends/Fellow Dog-Bloggers....... Once again, I find myself in the position of having to apologize for my Mom being a slacker. Good Grief! It has been over a month... doesn't she think people will wonder if I am still a blogger?!? I mean I know she is busy and doesn't have much time to do anything, but c'mon.... I have to stay up to date with my fellow bloggers.

So anyway, it got VERY HOT here at the Michigan homestead for this time of year .... high 80's and humid ... not a good combination for a large, extremely furry guy like me. To compensate, I sought refuge on the magic opening in the floor................

I can't explain this magic little wooden covered paradise in the floor, but it blows out COLD air! Pure heaven on a very hot day. As I basked in the coolness, I wondered if I could ever forgive my Mom for being such a slacker.... I contemplated for quite awhile....

And then suddenly.... what do I see outside..... my most favorite thing in the whole world ...... ALL IS FORGIVEN MOM, I'm going swimming......

This is my pool..... I haven't seen it in years.... OK, it has only been months, but whatever.... it has been waaaaaaaay too long.

I swim a little and then a good roll in the grass....

And then just some serious relaxing in my pool....

Go ahead Mom, slack away... I'll be out in my pool.

Hope everyone had a wonderful Holiday weekend and that your American Flag is flying!

Thanksgiving Dinner?!?

2010-04-25T15:50:00.000-04:00

Hi Everybody! Yesterday was a very fun and somewhat strange day. Farley and his humans came over for Thanksgiving dinner. Correct me if I am wrong, but isn't this April?? I thought Thanksgiving was in November. This April repeat of the holiday with the best food of the year has become somewhat of a ritual for Farley's humans and my humans.... go figure. But I don't complain. There are always tasty morsels of delight that hit the floor and find their way directly into my mouth.

Farley and I blocked all access to the kitchen while my Dad carved the delicious smelling bird. Mom was gathering up all the other goodies to put on the table.

And there's the feast just waiting for Farley and I ..... I mean the humans to consume it.

What do you mean we can't come in?!? Who says? It's my house too you know!

Finally! We are inside.... look how good we are being... please, please, please can't we have some too? And of course, the answer remained, as always, NO.... go lie down you two.

Then when the humans were done eating what should have been shared with us, Farley and I were rewarded for good behavior with our favorite -- Frosty Paws. I got a brain freeze -- ouch!

Man I hate brain freezes.... how does Farley avoid them?!? That guy is a genius I tell you.

Absolutely fabulous!

The humans had something called pie and then sadly, the party was over. Farley and his humans had to leave for their long drive home. We had such a good day -- I am very happy they came to visit me :o)

I'm exhausted..... so until next time, so long friends.

Today I am FOUR!!!!

2010-04-12T20:12:00.000-04:00

Howdy Friends -- Today is my birthday! I had a wonderful time.... Mom had to go to work, but when she got home, the fun began. First of all, there was a surprise box that came from my best friend Farley and his Mom.....

As always, sorry for the photo quality, I told you about my Mom's photography skills.....or lack there of as the case maybe. Anyway, inside this mysterious box was my very own business cards so people can find my blog. No more slacking for my Mom, I'm going public. How cool are these?!?

Then came my presents.... or as Mom calls them, "prizes". Mom can be kind of weird at times.

Look at all this cool stuff. And, I am actually on top of another toy that looks like a submarine sandwich and squeaks. Bring on the cake and ice cream....

It was totally yummy.....Angel Food Cake and Frosty Paws -- what more could I guy ask for. See that "stuffie" birthday cake?? Mom brings it out every year. It plays the Happy Birthday song when you squeeze it and of course I am not allowed to chew it up. That's OK, I kind of like having it every year.

OK Mom, I'm very tired. Can I lose the hat now? Thanks for a great day. And a very special THANKS to Farley and his humans for the awesome business cards. "I love ya Man!" You're the best friend ever and your humans a pretty terrific too.

Why can't I play Dad??

2010-04-10T20:03:00.001-04:00

My Dad hosted his poker club last night. Those boys play once a month from September through April. I was really looking forward to this year's meeting at my house because I am finally old enough to play -- 21 in dog years -- but noooooooooo, Dad and those boys shut me out of their basement fun. I don't get it. I can draw to a straight as good as the next guy. So I can't hold my cards up... Mom said she would get me one of those stands to set my cards in, but the answer was still NO! Come on, they had dry roasted peanuts, cocktail weiners, beef tenderloin for dinner (Dad always has to have something good for dinner because he hosts the last meeting of the season) and of course, lots of beer. There are no male Goldens that don't like to lick the last drops of beer out of the bottle -- guys if you haven't discovered this, please try to check out what you have missed. If there is no beer in your house, then you don't know what you are missing and that's OK too. It may be better not to know.

Where did all the dry roasted nuts go.... not one drop of beer for me??

Oh well, maybe next year........

HAPPY EASTER!

2010-04-04T19:35:00.000-04:00

Happy Easter Friends! Hope everyone enjoyed a glorious Spring weekend. I was happy to awaken this morning to find that the Easter Bunny had paid me a visit......

See my little basket in front of the big stuffed rabbit that I am NOT allowed to touch much less tear to shreds. I wonder when this "Easter Bunny" got into my house?!? Surely I would have smelled some rabbit varmit in my house.... I know everything that goes on here. But, considering he brought me these good looking treats, he can come in whenever he wants. You are welcome here gift-giving bunny... anytime, come on by.... it's all good with me.

After the excitement of getting these delicious treats from the rabbit, I spent most of the day in the middle of my outdoor domain taking in the sunshine and watching for the return of the bunny... a guy can never have too many treats.

Until next time, here's to spring and bunnies who bring gifts :o)

My Mom is such a slacker....

2010-03-30T19:53:00.000-04:00

Howdy Friends -- Sorry I have been absent once again. My Mom is just a slacker. Sure she has to be at work hours before Dad and I even get up and she goes to bed usually less than 3 hours after she gets home, but come on -- she knows I can't turn this crazy computer on by myself. Humans need to remember we of the canine corp have no thumbs. We can't operate simply machinery without their help.

I forgive my Mom because she is not the world's best photographer and I am not very cooperative when it comes to photos. I guess she is right, my stories are OK, but without photos, frankly, I am sort of boring. I am thinking about emailing Augie and Ti to see how they manage to behave so well when their Mom takes pictures. My friend Farley tells me it helps to have a Dad who is an awesome photographer and trained his Mom to be pretty darn good too.

On the plus side, Mom felt bad that she was slacking and gave me my favorite treat. She has these white bags that she puts in the microwave oven. The bag spins around in there and then after a minute or so, it starts jumping and making popping sounds and it smells wonderful. I watch intently as the process unfolds....

When the popping stops,Mom takes the bag out and tears it open. Inside is something wonderful that she calls "popcorn". I don't care what it is called, I love it! Then comes the fun. We play a game where I sit and wait for Mom or Dad to toss pieces of the magical popcorn to me so I can catch them ... most of the time. Mom and Dad are in to sports so they tell me to "be the ball" . I guess that is supposed to help me focus on catching the popcorn. I don't need to be some stupid ball, just toss me the popcorn, I'm all about the popcorn.....

And then, as always, Mom puts me through pure torture....

Yes, I am a very good boy Mom, but PLEEEEEEEEEASE! Is this necessary for 3 or 4 lousy pieces of this wonderful stuff...........

And the torture is over .... I devour the pieces so carefully placed in front of my nose........

Until next time friends, ask your humans for popcorn. Trust me on this one. They will give you the "it's not good for you" argument, but stand your ground, this stuff is good. :o)

Pretending it's warm.....well spring anyway....

2010-03-14T19:17:00.000-04:00

So, there I was basking in the sunlight on my deck....OK, it was cloudy but it was warm and dry......Wrong again, it was 40 degrees and really cloudy, but a guy can dream......

I was dreaming of warm weather and chasing squirrels and just when I had one in my sights, Mom decided to distrub my dreams and the little buster got away.....

Still groggy from having my sleep distrubed, I sprank to my feet and watched that little rodent indently.....

Get back here you varmit.....I can leap off this deck and have you for lunch .... I'll do it..... don't taunt me...and in an instant it was gone. Thanks alot Mom. Next time, don't wake me when I am just about to nab me a tasty squirrel.

Winter itch = Comatose Dugan......

2010-02-28T19:32:00.001-05:00

I am emabarrassed to admit that I have spent the majority of the winter suffering from some sort of annoying itch condition. I scratch at my neck, bite at my legs and feet and try to lick away the annoyance at all the space in between. Mom took me to see my Dr. Jeff because it got so bad at one point, I had something called "hot spots". They didn't feel hot, but they sure did itch. Dr. Jeff gave me some prescription medicine and told my Mom to give me Benedyrl when they were gone if the itch continued. Oh, and he told her to put "Senseless Fatty Acid" supplement on my food. Wait.......what Mom?!?......OK.....how do you spell that?....E S S E N T I A L. So, apparently it is called Essential Fatty Acids, not "Senseless".....who knew?!? The acid stuff is actually quite tasty and sort of smells like fish and I love fish so it's all good. The Benedryl is the problem. That stuff is dangerous. I think the only reason it stops a guy from itching is that it makes you comatose................ see for yourself.

Good thing sleep is one of my favorite things to do.

Wordless Wednesday

2010-02-24T11:05:00.000-05:00

Wordless Wednesday

2010-02-17T07:27:00.000-05:00

Am I weird??

2010-02-14T19:32:00.000-05:00

Greetings friends. Confidentially, can I ask you.... am I weird?!? My humans think I am bonkers because I like to wash my face after I eat. A little personal hygiene is good for a guy I think. And besides, who of us males are going to attract a good looking female Golden with dog food all over our face...I ask you....how can it be weird to wash your face. I must admit that the cold white stuff on the ground is a big help in this practice, but in the summer, I just simply use the grass. However, I do draw the line at mud. No self-respecting guy would ever wash their face in mud....now THAT would be weird. My mom tried to capture my face washing procedure last night after my dinner. You will note that Mom, although she tries, needs serious photography lessons from Farley's humans. Sadly, Mom is somewhat less than pathetic........

Now mind you, I would never show any disrespect to my humans, but when it comes to my hygiene, if someone wants to complain, they can just, "talk to the paw"..........

The day after the Super Bowl.....

2010-02-08T19:55:00.001-05:00

So, here it is the day after the "Super Bowl".... I don't understand it.... how do they get all those rather large football men to be able to play their game in a "bowl". I am just one big dog and I can't fit into even the largest of bowls that my Mom has. What kind of an incredibly huge bowl is this??? No matter.... my team won the game and I was so exhausted from cheering them on that I had to rest before I even saw the last commercial.....

I am still resting today ..... it's what I do best. I find my Dad's foot to be an especially comfy place to lay my head.

I'm baaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaack.......

2010-02-06T20:01:00.001-05:00

Greetings fellow bloggers and my apologies for my lengthy disappearance. It seems that my Mom has turned into a total slacker. I was dangerously close to resorting to my buddy Farley's plan of going to the puppy archives when Mom slacks. But since I am new at this, I decided to hold out and only use that as an absolute last resort.

So, I hope everyone is having a good new year so far. I for one, wish there was more of the cold white stuff on the ground. I love playing in it an we haven't had nearly enough this winter. My humans beg to differ with me...... some crazy thing about having to drive in it. I can't drive so what do I care -- I just want to play in it.

OK, enough talk. Here's just a little bit of what I have been up to since you last heard from me.......

I took up smoking .......HA! Just kidding. That's a rawhide, not a cigar.........you knew that didn't you?!?

We have a ritual at my house. My Dad gives me what we affectionately call "Lip Rubs". My Dad is the best in the world at it and I beg for one every day. Dad puts his hands out like little wings and has his thumbs (those weird appendages that dogs don't have) extended. He says to me, "Dugan, lip rub?!?" But of course Dad, I'm no fool. And then the bliss..... he messages my lips, gums and cheeks and it is pure heaven. See what I mean...

I guess my life has just been pretty normal despite my Mom's lack of reports lately. Oh and there's always the best thing we dogs do.....RESTING.........you know the drill.....put your head down on a favorite toy and rest until sleep comes. There's nothing better than that.

I will try not to take so long for my next report. Hope you are all well. Oh, and a special note to Augie.... HOORAY! I am sooooooooooo glad you are doing so well.

Wordless Wednesday

2010-01-06T14:49:00.002-05:00

MERRY CHRISTMAS TO ALL!

2009-12-24T22:15:00.000-05:00

I wish all my friends and family a very

Merry Christmas!

Old friend at Christmas...

2009-12-24T22:09:00.000-05:00

What a wonderful Christmas Eve I had. Back on my very first blog when I told you all about me, I mentioned Sophie. My humans had a Golden before me. His name was Lager and Sophie was his girlfriend. My humans tell me they were always together. Sophie is almost 13 now, but I totally understand what Lager loved about her -- she is quite a lady. And best of all, she and her humans come over every Christmas Eve. I get presents for Sophie and she get presents for me -- it's so much fun. Sophie's Mom worries about her because she has trouble going up and down steps now. To get off the deck and into my backyard, there are steps so everyone worries about Soph. You should have seen her this afternoon though... she was just like a kid again. She went out the door and jumped off the side of the deck just like she was a young girl again. It made us all smile. Then, just to be safe, when she was ready to come back inside, my Mom went out in the cold and helped her up the steps. We love her.

In case you were wondering, Sophie is the one with the white face :o) .....her she is again...

Ahhhhhhhhhhh Christmas -- tissue paper is the best....the present Sophie gave me wasn't bad either.

What a wonderful day.....

2009-12-20T19:42:00.000-05:00

Howdy to all my friends....Sorry I have been gone for awhile. My Mom has been very busy and I can't turn the computer on without her -- some problem with the fact that I don't have any thumbs. But anyway, we are back at least for the moment.

Yesterday was one of the best days ever. My best pal Farley came over to visit and we played all day long. We both laid claim to each other's Dad's and then when we realized that one of us was too close to the other guy's Dad, we reclaimed our own Dad....what fun. And there was lots of extra treats. My Mom is a sucker for a cute furry face.

The humans ate something called Coney Dogs and french fries. Farley and I weren't allowed to have that, but then how weird would it be for us to eat something with the word "dog" in it.

Here we are taking a breather from our romping.

I think that Farley must know something I don't. Either that, or miracles happen at his house and stuff just sort of jumps off the counter. He sat there for an eternity waiting for the miracle to come but I never saw it. He MUST know something I don't.

I wonder if Farley was as tired as me at the end of the day. I had so much fun. I wish Farley didn't live so far away, but I hope he can come back soon.

Farley was right!!

2009-12-08T20:04:00.000-05:00

I should have listened. My best friend Farley tried to warn me. He is older and wiser and knows about these things. But NOOOOOOOO, I didn't listen and then suddenly, there they were. The humans put out massive quantities of holiday stuffies that I am NOT allowed to touch, much less tear to shreds. Oh Farley, when will I learn to listen to you?!? This is pure torture.

They are everywhere........ this is not good................

Oh please, this is my room with only my toys..... make it stop...............

How long till Santa comes?!? A guy can only be good for so long.

Wordless Wednesday

2009-12-02T07:41:00.000-05:00

I'm Exhausted

2009-11-27T20:32:00.001-05:00

Hope everyone had a great Thanksgiving. I don't know about you, but I find this fabulous food extravaganza holiday to be most exhausting. Mom gives me special treats in my dinner -- you know what I mean -- the good stuff that we never, ever get to have on a normal day. I had my regular food mixed with turkey, green beans, and some really yummy kind of thick wet stuff -- I think Mom called it gravy. I didn't get too much of that though. Mom said it was not very good for me. I often wonder if she knows what it truly good. Anyway, I had a feast. And then, just like the humans, I was soooooooooo tired that I decided to have my Dad love on me for a minute and then curled up for a well deserved nap.......zzzzzzzzz....I don't think I woke up until this morning.

I killed it........

2009-11-19T08:25:00.000-05:00

This red fox got into our house several weeks ago, but I killed it, saving my family from harm. Now I just carry it's lifeless body around all the time to show how brave I am...... Actually I made that up. It is really one of those new "no stuffing" soft toys. It had squeakers in both ends which I promptly removed and now it is my favorite thing to toss around, sleep on and carry everywhere I go. With Christmas coming, let your humans know that I give these "no stuffing" toys a big 2 dew claws up!

The Weekend..... they sure go by fast

2009-11-15T16:08:00.000-05:00

The weekend is almost over. Why do the they go by so fast? My Mom will have to go back to work tomorrow and Dad and I will be here hanging out waiting for her to come back.

We went for a long walk yesterday and then to the park -- I love the park. My Mom loves to walk. We must have covered 50 miles before we got to the park.... OK, maybe it was only 3 or 4 miles, but it seemed like 50. Michigan (that's where I live) is a strange place. I am only a kid, but if I remember right, I think it is supposed to be cold and maybe even have some of that fun white stuff on the ground. But instead, it was sunny and 65 degrees -- only 3 degrees less than Phoenix, AZ. -- what's up with that. It's OK with me cuzz I get to go to the park......did I mention I love the park?

There's this tube thing in the park that Mom was trying to get me to climb through. I stood my ground though. She won't let me slide down the big tube at the little kid's school so I'm not climbing through this crazy tube. Besides, you can't even slide in it. It's just a big dumb tube. Mom and I had some laughs about it because every time she tried to coax me through the tube, I ran around it and licked her face. What a fun game.

Hope all my blogging friends had a good weekend too.

Wordless Wednesday

2009-11-11T10:28:00.002-05:00

Remember our Veterans

2009-11-11T07:06:00.000-05:00

Have you thanked a Veteran today? Remember, we owe them our freedom.

Sad Day...

2009-11-10T06:47:00.000-05:00

Today my family is mourning the loss of my Mom's sister and brother-in-law's beloved Golden, Murphy, who crossed the "Rainbow Bridge" yesterday morning.

                                   Rest In Peace Murphy
                          You were a loyal and devoted friend
                               and you will be sadly missed.

The price you pay to play...

2009-11-08T19:22:00.001-05:00

After my fun play day yesterday, things started out pretty normal around here for a Sunday. Dad got up, got the paper, made coffee and let me outside. Mom sleeps in a little, but she got up pretty early too. After everybody takes a shower and gets dressed, the humans eat breakfast and then it is walk time for me. Mom and I headed out on what I thought was going to be a normal walk. We went on a route that I was familiar with and then suddenly we were at a big road with traffic lights and I had to sit and wait for the little white light man in the box up high to tell us it was OK to cross the street. After we crossed, we walked a little more and then there it was...... the dreaded SHAMPOOCH! I was getting a bath and there was nothing I could do about it. All that fun, leaves and dirt, washed away in just minutes.

So now all signs of my fun day have been washed away. Mom and I walked back home and by the time we got there, all was forgiven. Don't tell Mom, but I feel a lot better. Those leaves and stuff made me all itchy, not to mention look how nice, clean and fluffy I look now. It's all good.

The grandkids came over....good times

2009-11-08T17:33:00.001-05:00

I knew Mom was cleaning for a reason on Friday. The kids and grandkids came over yesterday and I got to play all day long. We rolled in the leaves and chased around in the back yard until nobody could play anymore. Dad and his human son were cleaning out gutters, bagging leaves and moving stuff while we played. Dad's human daughter and Mom went shopping at Ickia. Oh, pardon me, Mom says it is IKEA, not Ickia -- I'm a dog, what do I know. Anyway, gutters and shopping sound pretty boring in comparison to kids and a big pile of leaves. By the time everyone came back inside, we all kind of wondered why Mom had bothered to clean. We trashed the place.

Dinner time was coming and the fun was over. The kids all went home and I was sad, exhausted, but sad. I ate my dinner and then..............well, let's just call me comatose Dugan. I had a great day!

I'm King of the playground!

2009-11-06T20:46:00.000-05:00

Today I had a special surprise. My Mom came home from work early and after she did some marathon house cleaning -- somebody must be coming over to visit tomorrow -- she took me to the playground at the little kids school near our house. I love that place. It has all these giant toys that I can climb on. I walked across the catwalk on the biggest toy of all and then I went up these really steep stairs to a place where you can go down a giant tube and slide all the way to the bottom. Mom won't let me go in the tube -- something about I'll get hurt or kill myself. It really looks like fun though. Little kids go in the tube all the time, but Mom still says NO.

Is my hair a mess or what -- I have got to stop rolling in the leaves.

Wordless Wednesday

2009-11-04T12:04:00.000-05:00

Some background about me

2009-11-04T11:48:00.002-05:00

Hi! It's me, Dugan. Just thought I would start by giving you a little background on me.... born April 12, 2006 in Pinkney, Michigan where I lived with some humans and my dog parents until June when my permanent human parents adopted me. Now I have a nice house where I let the human parents live too and a very big backyard that is ALL mine. Life is good! I have some doggie friends in the backyards on both sides of mine -- Lucy, a little white dog who is kind of skiddish, but she's nice, on one side and two big Weimer whatevers on the other on the side -- Grady, he's the boy and Sidney, the girl. They are OK, but Grady barks really loud all the time and pee's on my head through the fence. Sidney doesn't do much. I also have a very good friend who lives around the corner. Her name is Sophie, she is a Golden too. She's getting pretty old -- I think she is 12. She was my human's first Golden kid's girlfriend so we all love her. Let's see... what else.... oh yeah, there is my "Doctor Jeff". He takes good care of me and I like him so much I don't even mind shots and other icky stuff. And finally, my cousin/great-outdoors friend, Farley -- I like him best.

Now that we have covered the background information..... with the help of my pal Farley's Mom and my own Mom, I have decided to try my paw at blogging so I'll be reporting my daily doings as often as I can -- I hope you will enjoy my "tails"