Community:

Pet of the Month.

Chai M October 2014

How did you come to live with your current family?

Mom thought it would be a brilliant idea to arrange for my canine folks to meet up because she loved my lineage. I was a surprise though, because I didn’t show up in the ultrasounds….I sort shocked everyone when I popped out! And, I didn’t have any litter mates either, so I got all the attention. I came to live with my family at 10 weeks. My mom used to say, “I think I’m going to have sell you to a roving band of gypsies!!” when I was a puppy….I think kept her on her toes (wink). After a year and a quarter of training classes and daycare at Tails-A-Wagging, I think she will keep me afterall. Both my mom and dad call me ‘special’. I’m thinking that’s good thing.

What Silly or Little known facts should we know about you?

I love to burrow and root around in the couch, the bed pillows, under people’s legs, anyplace soft. I have a great sense of humor and am happy to share my enthusiasm for everything in life with my signature barking (mom calls it ‘downright percussive’). I share the living room with a tortoise named Woody who is rather slow and dull. I have a cat at my house who does not like me (intensely) so he stays in the basement most of the time (though I hear him sneak upstairs at night….and sometimes I can almost catch him in the act!). I have been to vet’s office more times than I can count (mom says I will put her in the poor-house), as I seem to keep crashing into things or putting my nose where it shouldn’t be. Mom says it is because I am “special”. I’m thinking she is probably right.

Besides Day Care… what do you love?

I love my family….wow, I really love my family. I love my folks so much that every night when they lay down on the bed I enthusiastically show them my love by lying on top of Mom full length with my head on her cheek while she give me rubs and then I roll over onto Dad and lick his bald head until he tells me to move to the bottom of the bed (where I steal all the covers). I also love everyone who comes to our house which is a lot of people because my mom has music student families all week and my ‘human brother’ has lots of friends who like to visit. I love treats too, especially cheese. I’m not a picky eater either; I enjoy brie, gouda, goat cheese, Jarlsburg, Dubliner, all kinds of cheddar, string cheese (my power training treat), parmesan…..I’m not picky! I also love other goodies including a few people treats like green snap peas crisps and Cheetos when we go hiking. Speaking of hiking, we do a lot of that and I LOVE snow. Wow….I really love snow. I love jumping in it, flying across it to chase snowballs, eating it, rolling in it; I basically love everything about snow. Besides, when we hike to snow, Mom has Cheetos and Jerky in the bag which is my favorite lunch (she thinks I should be eating kibble…seriously?? Would you eat kibble if you had Cheetos and Jerky available?) Mom says she gives me Cheetos and Jerky because I am “special”. I’m thinking I am one lucky dog.

What are your favorite toys or games?

I love my water bottle toys. They make such a satisfying crunch with I bite them. I have a 5 foot long green snake too with squeakers all over. Last spring Mom brought home a blue dragon from her trip, and I can thrash that dragon something fierce! I am super fast at chasing balls and mom and dad love using the Chuck-it to make me run really, really far. I can outrun every other dog. I still can’t figure out why mom wants me to bring back the ball. She can walk across the field to get it; I am happy to wait for her and point out where the ball is so she doesn’t miss it. Lately I have been practicing Hide and Seek. My mom thinks she is so clever when she hides in the bathtub…honestly! I love tricks too. Mom and Dad teach me new tricks all the time. Sometimes I even invent my own tricks which makes my folks really happy. They tell me I am really ‘special’. I think they are right.

If you had a major in college…what would it be?

Advanced snowball chasing with a minor in ‘Special’ flying/leaping. I am thinking about getting a second degree in ‘signal barking’ (I’m sure there is a market for this somewhere). I can’t decide if I should go for a graduate degree. Mom thinks Agility would be a great focus, but that means I would have to stop speaking up in class. Mom says the other dog parents can’t hear the instructor (what’s to hear? I am just telling all my dog buddies what to do with the tunnel and poles…I love to help!) Mom says my bark makes me ‘special’. When she says this, Dad looks at me like this is not all right.

If you wrote a personal ad… what would it say?

Gorgeous black-tri Aussie female with impeccable pedigree; 30 lbs; well groomed; super athletic; likes Veterinarians; happy personality and positive outlook on life; looking for friends who enjoy the out-of-doors and love life. I know I am “special”.

Other information we should know about you?

Couch sprawling in the evenings between my folks is about as close to heaven as I can get (unless Cheetos are involved). Mom says I need to get this barking ‘thing’ under control (she and Dad helped me with all sorts of other ‘manners’ over the past year). I am just trying to tell them about ALL the things I see that warrant attention. Really, I just want them to see the things that I see that are ‘special’. They love me anyway, so everything is all-right.

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