Christmas Spirit Award!

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My good friend Dennis gave me a Christmas Sprit Award because I met the real Santa. When I met him, I of course told Mr. Claus to be extra-specially nice to all of my friends this year, so remember to put out some milk and cookies on Christmas Eve for Santa to nibble on. And don't forget his hungry reindeer; they need lots of carrots!

Dennis said that there are a few rules for the Christmas Spirit Award. Here they are:

1. You must be a true Christmas lover to recieve this award (that's me!);
2. The person or dog or kitty or whoever to whom you give the award must link back to the person that gave you the award;
3. You must list five things that you love about Christmas, and if you can't limit it to five things, then keep going until you run out of space;
4. Pass the award along to as many people or dogs or kitties or whoever as you like. That can be one or fifty. It's up to you, but you must pass it on to at least one person or dog or kitty or whatever in order to keep the Christmas cheer going!
5. Finally, let your recipients know that you have tagged them by leaving them a comment.

I have to say that I like many, many things about Christmas. It is one of my favorite times of the year. Shame that it has to be so cold, or it would have been my MOST favorite. Here is a list of some of the reasons I love Christmas:

(1.) I love Christmas because it means family.
(2.) I love Christmas because my mom bakes tons of cookies.
(3.) I love that there is a tree in my living room! I haven't been able to find any squirrels in the tree (bummer!), but I love having a tree in my house! Yay! My mom and dad are the best parents in the world because invented the idea to put a tree in the house. Wait, you say that you have a tree, too? Well... ummm... that's a little embarrassing. Well, my parents are still the coolest even if they didn't invent the "putting a tree in the house" idea. I still love them.
(4.) I love Christmas because my mom stays home with me for two whole weeks (she says that she is "working from home", but we all know that she stays home to give me cuddles!).
(5.) I love Christmas lights on all of the houses. I try to catch the lights when they blink, but I'm never quick enough.
(6.) I love that my mom gets happy when she gets pretty cards from her friends and puts them on our mantle.
(7.) I love Christmas Cookies. I especially like helping my mom make them. She got smart and won't let me lick the bowls; she thinks I might get fat or upset my tummy. I told her that I don't care and that I little extra cushioning never hurt anyone, but she doesn't believe me. Oh well, I tried. Even though I only get to lick the spoons, it is still the best thing ever! Shhh... don't tell my dad about that one...
(8.) I love nice smells from things baking in the oven and from candles.
(9.) I love seeing happy people on my walks. Sometimes they are really cold happy people, but frozen happiness is still happiness.
(10.) I love that my mom and dad don't have homework during Christmas so they can spend extra cuddle time with me at night.
(11.) I love that my mom makes Apple Pies for Christmas. I'm the "official" taste-tester, and my mom lets me lick the spoon afterwards. Yum! Shhh... don't tell my dad about that one either...
(12.) I love seeing my human families! They give me lots of kisses and sneak delicious food to me when my dad isn't looking!
(13.) And finally, I love Santa. Please Santa, bring me a new flying squirrel. Also, Santa, can you please give me a new stuffed bunny. Or maybe a squirrel? I'd even settle for a stuffed raccoon. Remember Santa, I love you best!

In the spirit of giving, I would like to bestow this Holiday Spirit award to some of my very special friends:

First, I want to give this Christmas Spirit award to Baltimore Animal Rescue and Care Shelter, Inc. (BARCS) for taking care of all of the puppies and kitties who don't have humans to love them.

Second, I want to give this Christmas Spirit award to my mom's friend John. He is Ace's dad. Both a great writer and animal lover, John maintains the fantastic Ohmidog website. As for holiday cheer, John dressed up as Santa for one of the South Baltimore's "Pet Photos with Santa" events this year. Not only was it fun to get pictures with Santa, the proceeds benefited the Frankie Fund at BARCS to help pay for operations and recovery for all the sick puppies and kitties who don't have any humans. Thanks for spreading so much love during the holidays this year!

Third, I give this Christmas Spirit award to Fifty Fine Toes. I do not know her, but she must be a good Christmas mom because she puts her kiddies in Christmas pajamas on Christmas Eve. Christmas is all about children and the magic and wonder that goes along with it, or so my mom says.

Fourth, I give this Christmas Spirit award to Amanda, her husband and Zoe the Vizsla. They cut down their very own Christmas tree this year! Loads of Holiday Spirit there!

Wishing you and your families a happy holiday!

Happy Hanukkah!

I met Santa!

Ok, Santa, so here is the deal. I want a Chuckit Flying Squirrel, some Vanilla Braided Ring Rawhides from White Dog Bone, a Nylon Turnout Coat from Foggy Mountain Dog Coats, lots of good treats, a new toothbrush, a new Bunny, and a new Duck. I also want Riverside Park to put in an official dog park. Oh, and a new puppy sister so that I can wrestle every day; it would be fun to have one of those. I'm sure there is more stuff, so I'll have my people talk to your people later this week.

FINAL FOUR!!!! Vote again!

Thanks again for all of your votes in the last few rounds!

Hudson is now one of the top FOUR dogs of Chicago in the Chicago's Most Beautiful Dog 2008 Contest. Go Hudson!

My beautiful sister really needs your votes (again) for this next round, so please:
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VOTE FOR MY SISTER HUDSON!!!!
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A vote for Hudson is a vote for Vizslas everywhere :)

Please Vote AGAIN!

Thanks again for all of your votes in the last round. It was stiff competition, but Hudson beat Bella! Hudson got 7,039 votes to Bella's 3,678. It was looking grim there for awhile, but Hudson pulled through with flying colors! Yay, Hudson!

Hudson is now one of the top EIGHT dogs of Chicago in the Chicago's Most Beautiful Dog 2008 Contest. Go Hudson!

She really needs your votes (again) for this next round, so please:
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VOTE FOR MY SISTER HUDSON!!!!

Thanks lots! Love, Laila

Playing Ball . . .

In the HOUSE!!! My dad rocks!!!

Hudson Needs Your Votes Again!

Thanks for all of your votes in the last round!

My sister Hudson made it to the top SIXTEEN dogs of Chicago in the Chicago's Most Beautiful Dog 2008 Contest. I'm SOO proud of her!!!!

She really needs your votes (again) for this next round, so please:

VOTE FOR HUDSON (again)!!


My mom told me to upload a cute puppy picture of Hudson for a little incentive. *smile*

Sleeping is my favorite

Quail Training

* * PLEASE NOTE: All birds were set free after this training session. * *

On Sunday, I joined the Tivoliz family for a Quail Training Day in Sunshine, Maryland. I really enjoyed seeing my family and meeting my new cousins and aunts and uncles from the Legal Eagles and Three's Company litters. My grandmom Siren was there; Cooper, Echo, Kona, Jack, Henna, and Harlow came; Jersey and McCoy came down from New Jersey; and Rudy and Polo came to visit from North Carolina! Let me know if I'm missing anyone!

The land was really pretty, but it was very cold!
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Just ask my mom! She wore a long-sleeved shirt, a hooded sweatshirt, two coats, a hat, gloves, and fleece-lined snow boots! I can't laugh at her too much though; I would have cried if I wasn't able to wear my coat.
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Debbie and the trainer bought a whole bunch of live quail to work with.

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Mr. John was our trainer for the day. He worked with each dog individually and did three training rounds.

Here he is teaching our parents how the traps work. Basically, it’s like an upside-down basket that keeps the bird on the ground so that the dogs can smell them. When it is time to release the bird, the trainer just steps on the little handle to lift the basket. Then, the bird is free to fly away.

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Here is one of the traps with a bird in it (the green mesh thing with a brown blob to the left of the orange flag). Can you see it? My mom couldn't until my dad pointed it out.

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I liked the birds! They smelled super good! I didn’t know it was possible, but they smelled even better than cookies!

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The best part about Mr. John was that he let me play with real live birds!!! He's like the Santa Claus for dogs!

Mr. John, I swear I've been good all year! Give me that bird! Please?

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After Mr. John finished baiting me, he took me out to find a bird in the field. It didn't take me long to find.

It's over there! I smell it!
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Getting a little bit closer . . .

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Found it!!!!!!
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Darn! My mom scared it away!

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Even though I didn't actually catch the birds, my parents were really proud of me.

I really wanted to bring it home to show my friend Riley. He would have been so jealous that I hunted a bird! Oh well . . .

After the training, we all had a play date.

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Dave and Cooper.

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Either Rudy or Polo.

Vote for Hudson!

Laila's sister Hudson has made it to the top 32 dogs of Chicago in the Chicago's Most Beautiful Dog 2008 Contest. Please vote for Hudson!!!!

http://redeye.chicagotribune.com/red-mostbeautifuldog-2008,0,1656732.special

COOKIES

OH MY DOG, OH MY DOG, OH MY DOG!!!!!
Sugar Cookie Time!!!!!
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Just a little teensy nibble. Thanks, Mom!
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CRUMB INSPECTION TIME!
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Do you have any crumbs left on your hands, Mom? Let me help you inspect.
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If my dad asks, I never touched a cookie. It can be our little secret!!!!

Becoming a Bird Dog

A hawk ate a bird in the backyard and left a whole bunch of feathers for me to play with. I picked one up and pranced around like a reindeer in the backyard.

Fantastic fun! I was so happy!!! I know you are all very jealous!

I brought one of the feathers into the house to play with, but it took a few minutes before my mom realized that I had brought it in the house.
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Suprisingly, my mom wasn't mad at all. She said something about a "bird day" coming up and how very proud she was that I liked the feather.

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I don't know what this "bird day" means, but I'm looking forward to finding out!!!

Happy 6th Anniversary Mom & Dad

Six years--in dog years, that's like . . . ummm . . . forty-two years! My math isn't all that good since I only have eight fingers and eight toes. Those humans think they are so cool with those opposable thumbs and all. Anyway, I bet my parents are going to get all mushy tonight and go out to get sushi or something tonight. And my dad will probably bring home those green sticks with red petals on them. My mom is weird and puts them on the table. She doesn't eat them at all. What a waste of perfectly good sticks. Ah, sigh . . . I wish I had a boyfriend. No one ever brings me sticks.

F-A-M-O-U-S!!!!

My mom and I are famous! Our picture was featured in the Thanksgiving Post for Oh Mi Dog. You can see the picture by clicking: HERE.

Bunnies aren't for sharing

Riley is my favorite friend. Because it gets dark before my mom and dad and Riley's dad get home from work, sometimes Riley gets to come over for fun play-dates after a quick visit to the smaller park down the street. I love to play and wrestle with him, but sometimes he steals my stuff. Being an only child, I haven't really figured out the whole "sharing" thing.

First, he steals my chewies. I'm ok with sharing chewies because there are plenty more.

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But then . . . he steals my BUNNY!?!?!
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Riley is my best friend. But, no one--no one--steals my bunny! Give it back!!
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My mom had to put the bunny on top of the refrigerator so that we didn't rip it in half. You will, however, be surprised to hear that I got the bunny down from on top of the refrigerator with my super jumping abilities. My mom said it was pretty impressive.
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I . . . *jump*

need . . . *jump*

my . . . *jump*

bunny! . . . *jump*

Santa is coming to town!?!?!?!

My mom is excited because this guy named "Santa" is going to be at the park on Saturday for "Pet Photos with Santa." I don't really know who this "Santa" guy is, but she keeps talking about pictures and Christmas cards and holiday decorations. She's a little crazy sometimes, so I'll go along with it as long as I can sleep in and cuddle all morning. Wait a minute. What? Eleven in the morning?!?! You expect me to get up and go to the park and SMILE at eleven in the morning??? Seriously? I don't like to wake up until at least 12:30 p.m. Unless this Santa character is bringing cookies and lettuce and asparagus and carrots AND hotdogs, I'm just not getting out of bed. Eleven o'clock in the morning? You humans are crazy.