Real mandogs...

don't each quiche.  Well, I would eat quiche if it were offered to me, but the point is that Mama Al spent most of Thursday and Friday last week trying to clean the house.  And I spent most of the time standing in the way...either standing in the middle of the room or right in front of the vacuum.  Mama Al kept swearing and yelling "Henry, you are SUCH a man!"  I'm not exactly sure what she means by that, but I guess after doing five loads of laundry and cleaning the bathroom, she wasn't in the bestest of moods...oh well...
Cheers, 
 - h

Can you smell the smell?

It's been about a week since I started sleeping with everyone upstairs and I am doing great!  I love it, really, being with everyone else.  I sleep on the floor to one side of the bed, Lillian sleeps in her nest on the other side of the bed and Maggie usually sleeps with Mama Al.  Sometimes, she even sleeps under the covers - I've seen her do it!  I can't get up on the bed, but that's okay.  My Pawrriffic Bed is up there and it's nice and warm.  I just don't want to feel alone. That said, I'm not a big snuggler, but I sure don't like being away from my people.


Mama Al told me the other day that I don't stink anymore.  I guess that's a good thing.  I've only had the one spritz bath, so she thinks it's probably my diet and supplements.  I take a 1000mg fish oil every day and also something called Glycoflex.  Everyone, even the cats, likes the Glycoflex...Sam nearly took Mama Al's finger off to get one of those chews the other day!  I have a couple of cups of Orijen Senior food for dinner every day.  So we think the moral of the story is that if you eat well, you smell better.  It kind of makes sense.  It's not to say that I'm completely without a smell, but I don't stink like I did when I lived with Mama Marisa...my system probably hadn't had enough time to switch from the lower quality food I was getting in the shelter and whatever I was scavenging prior to that.  Mama Marisa started me on Orijen and my supplements, so that's why I smell better now.  


So that's the update for today...I'm going to take a nap in the sun now...I'll catch up with you nice people later, okay?
Cheers!
 - h

Bunking with the Pack

Mama Al has finally caught on and last night, she let me come upstairs with Maggie and Lillian to go to sleep.  She even brought my bed up for me.  I settled right down and stayed asleep all night.  My bed is by the door and we left the bathroom light on so that I can see if I need to get down the stairs.  I prefer to be with everyone else and I am certainly glad that Mama Al caved...

So THIS is how the other half lives?!?!

It's been a while since I last wrote.  Since my surgery, I have been enjoying living here in Kalamazoo with my family.  Mama Al has been trying to spend more time around the house to keep me company and yesterday, Lillian actually sat next to me on my bed!  Maggie sometimes steals my bed, which confuses me, but I don't think she's being mean, I think she just likes the bed.  I don't really mind sharing.  


I get a little sad at night because everyone goes upstairs to go to bed and I have to stay downstairs.  That's pretty much the only bummer I have to report.  I can get up and down the stairs, but Mama Al says that it's not easy for me.  That's why she wants me to stay downstairs.  But I cry at about 4am every morning so Mama Al comes downstairs to let me out to potty and then she goes to sleep on the couch.  Maggie usually comes down, too.  I know it's not easy for her, but I sure appreciate it.  


S.E. Brown kitty is the only person here who seems to not like me.  It might have something to do with the fact that I stick my big fat head in her face and she hisses at me.  She smacked me in the face the other night, but I didn't take it personally.  There isn't much I take personally, really.  Mama Al dropped pie on me the other day and I just took it in stride.  That's how you gotta roll when you're my age.


Well, it's getting late here - I just wanted to check in with you nice people.  Thanks again to everyone who helped me get here - I like it.


Cheers, 
 - H

Nad-free and Lovin' It!

I couldn't write before today because our internet was out here at the new house I live in.  I got my Pawrriffic Bed in the mail on Thursday evening and I LOVE it!  If you don't have one, you should get one.  You get to choose the fabric - Mama Al picked a nice manly pattern for me, with brown and blue bones.  It's fleece, so it's nice and warm on these colder evenings in Michigan.  

I was kind of peeing on things in the house, which was making Mama Al a little mad.  I was just trying to let people know I was here and everything, but apparently that's rude.  So Mama Al went to Barks Fifth Avenue and got me a belly band.  It's kind of like a diaper, but it looks like a burberry plaid and it matches my collar, so it's fashionable.  

Yesterday, I went to the vet and she gave me a shot that made me feel very sleepy.  Then I don't remember anything until when I woke up, my teeth were all clean and I didn't have my boys anymore!  Honestly, I don't even care...Mama Al says I smell better and I gotta tell you, I feel a ton better.  I don't act like I'm sore or anything.  It's a relief to be free of those things...I highly recommend this to all the pups out there.  Trust me, you won't miss them!

So we are starting to have a schedule here and I'm starting to get the hang of this family thing.  I like to be brushed and I enjoy hanging out with my mama.  My sister, Maggie, likes to spend time in the room with me, while my other sister, Lillian tolerates me.  There are two kitties who live here too, one of whom is older than me!  Last night, all five of us were in the room at the same time.  I'm sure there will be more things I need to learn, but this is pretty nice...

Cheers!

  - h

Operation Henry Recon a Success!

I'm sorry I couldn't update you earlier - Sunday I got transported from Mama Marisa's house in Utica, NY all the way to Kalamazoo, MI where I am living now, but there was an ice storm that knocked out the power to my new home and I couldn't write before now.  Auntie Patricia, picked me up from Mama Marisa and then we went to pick up Auntie Meg, and Auntie Tracy who were kind enough to ride along from Buffalo to keep us company!  Auntie Patrica baked me some tasty treats for the road and Auntie Meg gave me a new Nylabone.  Auntie Tracy let me sit in her lap all the way to Erie, PA, which was very nice of  her because I still have my man junk and because I have terrible breath.  Not my fault, nobody's ever cared for my teeth before...just sayin'...


Of course, I had no idea where we were going, all I knew was that I left Mama Marisa and I didn't understand why.  That made me kind of sad.  She's so very nice.  I really love her.  

We had to wait in the parking lot of the McDonald's in Erie for a little while and then two new ladies came to say hi.  Everyone was so excited because they kept saying "There's your new Mama!"  It's too bad I'm deaf and can't hear them, but I could feel that everybody was happy and excited, so that was good.  I had to wait a little while longer because all the humans had to eat something.  Then they came out and I pottied and they put me in a new car with two new people.  They were both very nice, but I had no idea where we were going.  I cried for a little bit and then settled down.  We had to drive through some really crappy weather, but my new Mama is a good driver and her friend Lissa was a very helpful passenger.  We drove all the way to Michigan, the last hour in an ice storm!  I could tell my new Mama was pretty stressed out, but wow, she's quite a good driver!


Right after we got to my new house, the power went out and it was really late.  I was pretty confused, so I cried for about half an hour in my crate before I decided it would all be okay.  We still had no power in the house on Monday and Mama Al stayed home most of the day with us, my sisters and brother and me.  There are two kitties who live here and two other girl dogs.  One of the dogs, the white one, is a little nervous, but she's very chill.  I haven't met the other one yet.  The man cat hissed at me, but that's because I am a knucklehead.  We went to the vet in the afternoon on Monday and she's a really nice lady.  She gives lots of treats.  I got a shot and weighed and I weigh 45lb.  I'm putting on weight!  Then we went for a drive in the car again so Mama Al could juice up her cell phone.  I got to visit two different pet stores!  Everyone thought I was cute.  Then we went home and Mama Al started a fire in the wood stove to keep us all warm.  She tries so hard.


The heat finally went on early Tuesday morning and I think that made Mama Al feel a lot better.  She had to leave us to go to work and as much as I don't like my crate that much, I'm grateful because I can sleep through most anything.  Tuesday was a much better day for all of us.  


This morning, I gave Mama Al some mid-high tail wags - I think I'm starting to feel a little better.  I take my antibiotics and I had a nice breakfast and I think things are going to be fine here...
cheers, 
h

Road trip planning...

It's official, I'll be moving to Michigan on Sunday!  I don't know anything about Michigan.  Mama Marisa tells me that I will have two new pittie sisters, one of whom is almost my age.  My new mama has food for me and a new bed is coming for me from Pawrriffic Beds.  I understand there is a whole team of people who are taking me to Erie, PA to meet my new mama.  Wish me luck, because this is another transition for me...
 Cheers!
 - h