Super-secret dog park

My mom found a super-secret dog park where I can play with my mom and my other puppy friends in the city.
It's not very big, but it's great to wrestle with my friends, chase balls, and play frisbee.

Sometimes my dad comes to the park with my mom and I.
(throw it, dad!!!)

Going to the park is my favorite part of the day.

(getting an afternoon drink with my friends Murray and Olive)

I love spending time with my friends.

CGC Laila to the Rescue

How does the saying go, where there is smoke, there is usually fire? Well, my mom says it a little differently. She says that "where there are paper towels, Laila will usually be nearby."

Ok, I know what you are thinking and while I admit that I might have had something to do with the latest little mishap, I swear it wasn't my fault!
Let me tell you what really happened.

Yesterday, a little birdie knocked on the front door. He needed some paper towels really quick because it had been raining and he was all wet. Being the nice "Canine Good Citizen" that I am, I ran into the kitchen to get him a roll.
While I was trying to pull a piece off of the roll for him to dry his little birdie feathers with, the paper towel roll slipped a bit.
It's really pretty difficult to unwind a paper towel roll without opposable thumbs. All of my puppy friends know what I mean.
Anyway, I accidentally dropped it, and it rolled onto the floor.
I didn't need all of that! I just needed one piece since it was just a small little birdie.
I grabbed the paper towel roll to try to get just one piece and to roll up the rest.
But it kept getting tangled on my feet . . .
Hold on, birdie! I'll save you!

But, by the time I got back to the front door, he was gone!

And I was left to explain THIS mess to my mom:

So, the moral of this story is simple: don't trust little birdies.

New Pillow

Yes, Mom, you caught me! I know I'm not supposed to play with my "outside toys" in the house, but my Chuck-It Flying Squirrel makes a great pillow, don't you agree?

Canine Good Citizen!

As of Sunday morning, I have officially become a Canine Good Citizen.

Yup, that's my badge.

My mom and I went for the official CGC evaluation yesterday to see whether I could pass ten tests:

1. Accepting a friendly stranger. Easy one! No one is a stranger to me; they are just people that I haven't kissed yet!
2. Sitting politely for petting. Another easy one! More pets and kisses please.
3. Appearance and grooming. I think we all know the answer to this one. Of course, I passed this test. Was it even a question?
   
4. Out for a walk (loose lead). I love taking walks with my mom. Are we going to the park?
   
5. Walking through a crowd. This one was weird since no one in the crowd even looked at me. Definitely not a realistic simulation because I've never gone on a walk without someone stopping to ask what kind of dog I am, to tell me how beautiful I am, or to ask if they can say "hello," but I passed anyway.
6. Sit and down on command and staying in place. I'm a champion sit-er and stay-er, but I was a little shaky on the "down." I usually save that trick for my dad, so I kept looking over my shoulder to see where he was. I mean, I'm pretty sure he came with us. Where did he go??? Once the judge let my dad come into the ring, I proved my skill by doing an excellent down.
7. Coming when called. Hi Mom, you called?!?
   
8. Reaction to another dog. Now, this one was a silly test. I guess some dogs get scared of other dogs, but I love everyone! I'm just sad that I wasn't able to play with the little dog. I guess it's a good thing though; she is so teeny-tiny that she probably can't play ball or frisbee. Actually, I think her entire body could fit inside of a frisbee.
   
9. Reaction to distraction. This was a mean trick to play on my mom. It didn't scare me one bit when the lady dropped her clipboard on the ground, but startled my mom and made her say "whoa! what was that?!?"
   
10. Supervised separation for 3 minutes. They judges were surprised that I did so well since I had been looking for my dad earlier during the test, but I passed this one with flying colors!

Oh, and did I mention that I had to do all of this tricks WITHOUT ANY TREATS?!?!

My mom is so proud of me!

Tricks for Chicken

Ever since I was a baby, my mom has said that my name should be "will work for food." And you know what? She's right. I will do anything to get a piece of chicken.

Sometimes the smell of the amazing chicken overwhelms me, impeding my ability to concentrate on anything OTHER than the chicken.

Mmmm . . . chicken . . .

But, I promise that I'm really smart. Once I get started, I do my tricks as quickly as possible so that I can get my treat.

Quick, quick! Twirl, jump, spin, sit! Chicken, please!

A dream vacation?

While my parents were out of town, I bunked with my mom Kayla, aunt Hannah, and brother Seamus at Melissa and Jason's house in PA. I had a lot of fun wrestling, cuddling, and playing with the Chuck-it flying squirrel at the park. However, I kept wondering what my parents were doing. I still can't believe that they left me behind!!!

Although they were originally supposed to visit some friends in Boston before going to a wedding in New York, they opted for a quick trip to Southern New Jersey instead.

While staying at a B&B in Cape May, they decided to take a side-trip to "The Point" in Stone Harbor to take a walk on the beach and see the wildlife.
(Meanies! They know I love the beach!)
Since it is a wildlife refuge area, the beach is usually completely empty.
There are lots of tidal pools for little "fishies" to live in, and it is a sanctuary where birds and other living things can nest on the beach without being disturbed.
This looks like my dream vacation!

Those sand dunes look like they would be really fun to run on. Plus, I love birds!

I can't believe that my parents didn't take me!?! Maybe I can go with my mom and dad next time.
Wait?? What?!?!?! You've got to be kidding me. Unfair!!!! Can you say "canine discrimination?"

I can't believe that they would be so bold as to blatantly . . .
Whoa! Mom, what is THAT!!!!
Oh my gosh, ewww! Mom, what are those creepy things!?!?!


Aieeee! That shell has eyeballs and fingers! Don't wait for the shell to come to life: Run away!!!

My mom said that it is just a hermit crab, but I think she's crazy. It's a monster!

And just when I thought the worst was over, along came a . . .

SHARK!!!!!

That's not a dream vacation, it's a nightmare!!!! I'm just glad my parents survived!

Ok, I change my mind. I'm very, very glad that I wasn't with my parents on their trip.

Without me? Never!

Two weeks ago, my mom and dad decided to go on a weekend getaway. When I found out that they would not be taking me with them, I let them know exactly how I felt.

"Mom, if you don't want to take me, you can have this slimy present to remind you of how much I love you."

Baby puppy!!!

My human grandmom just called! She just got a baby puppy today!

He is a purebred Jack Russel, and his name is Spencer. My grandmom's friend adopted Spencer's sister, but hasn't decided on a name for her yet.

My mom says he's pretty small, but I can't wait to meet him and let him play with my toys! I heard he loves to play with his itsy-bitsy tennis ball. That's my kind of guy!

Daring Rescue!

About a week ago, my mom’s friend Karen came across an advertisement on Craigslist seeking to “rehome” an 18-month old Vizsla. Miss Karen doesn’t own a Vizsla, but she knows owning a vizsla requires a lot of hard work, dedication, and prior knowledge of the breed. She told my mom about the poor guy and asked my mom to help. My mom contacted the dog’s owner, gave him the contact information for the Conestoga Vizsla Club’s rescue group, and also contacted the rescue coordinator. I am happy to report that my mom received an email from the CVC rescue coordinator letting us know that the dog was taken into rescue.

This prompts my mom to make an important service announcement: While vizslas are a beautiful, loving, and fantastic breed, they require a lot of special attention, care, love, and exercise. Please, please, please do your research before adding a Vizsla to your family.

Like my Aunt Debbie says, “A vizsla isn’t just a dog. It’s a way of life."

Many thanks to Dennis's mom for recommending this video:


If you need to rehome your vizsla, please click here to find contact information for the vizsla rescue coordinator closest to you.

Welcome Home, Vizsla Style!

While my Dad was in the faraway land of "Hong Kong," I was very sad and missed him a lot. I got to see him on the computer screen every day, but it just wasn't the same. My mom promised that he would come home soon, but it seemed like forever. When he finally came home, I was so excited that I didn't know what to do.

Give him a hug? Grab a toy? A chewie? Which toy, which toy? My Dad is Home! Toy? Dad! Chewie? Dad! Mom? Did you see!?!? It's my Dad! *Squeal* Dad, dad, dad!!!!! Oh my dog, Dad!!

I was so excited that I accidentally piddled on the floor, but I couldn't help it.

My DAD is finally home!!!!!

Red bugs on the loose

My dad brought home a lot of cool gifts from his trip to Hong Kong, including this light saber thing that makes red bugs race on the walls.

I tried to catch the bugs for my dad, but they were super-quick and disappeared whenever I got close. My dad said something about this being a good way to let me get some exercise when it is rainy and muddy outside, but I don't know what he means by that. I don't like rain, but I don't know why he thinks it is a good idea to let a red bug loose in the house! What would they have done if I hadn't chased it away? I mean, what if it ate my mom! My parents are very lucky that I was there to protect them.

Mr. Cuz-ball Man

One of my favorite toys (other than my stuffies, my frisbee, my Chuck-it ball-thrower, and my Flying Squirrel) is my Cuz ball.
I like my Cuz toy because it squeaks, is chewy, and has feet!
The feet make it jump all over the place when it lands. Extra fun!

You can't get away from me, I've got you, Mr. Cuz-ball Man!

Yo-Yo-Yogurt!!!

Oh, yogurt, I love you. Let me count the ways . . . .

One, you are so yummy. Two, you are so tasty.

Three, you come in a cute package.
Four, you fit in my mouth perfectly.

Five, you are deliciously creamy and have little pieces of strawberries inside.

Six, did I mention that you are yummy and tasty?

Yogurt is so delicious that I can never get enough!

Mom, can I have another?

Sweet as Nectar

My good friend Dennis the Vizsla Dog gave me the "Sweet as Nectar" award.

Thank you, Dennis! You always make me feel like the most special-est girl in the world.

In honor of being sweet, I'd like to share this award with some of my sweetest blogging buddies:

1. First, I'd like to share this award with my new baby cousin Diamond, who is living it up in California. She is full of energy and makes everyone around her smile. Plus, her dad shares really great photos and videos.
   
2. Second, I'd like to share this award with my good friend Winnie, the Wire-Haired Vizsla, who lives in Virginia. She is beautiful and wins lots of shows, but even better than that is how much she loves her dad. She is a very lucky Vizsla since her dad bought her a great house on the water with lots of room to run and explore.
3. Next, I want to share this award with my Vizsla friend Zigana. Zigana is currently sharing her mom with a baby duck named Tuesday. Zigana is really sweet and being a great sport. Plus, Tuesday is super cute!
   
4. Fourth, this award goes to my first-ever Vizsla blogging friend Rocket and his sister Delilah. Rocket is super handsome; Delilah is super cute; and both are super sweet. Plus, they have great taste in beds (I have the same one that they have!).
   
5. And finally, this list wouldn't be complete without my adopted mom Gabby, her sister Flirt, and my cousin Havoc. They are all full of energy, but can cuddle with the best of them. Life is never dull with them around!

Wowsers!

Wowsers! Has it really been 3 weeks?!?!

I've been a very naughty blogger lately (I blame my mom; she blames the computer). So much has happened that I don't know if I can remember it all, but I'll try.

Where to start? Where to start?

So, my parents took their exams in May. While they studied, I got to go on an extended sleepover at my Aunt Debbie's house (thank you, Aunt Debbie!). I wuff Aunt Debbie, my grandmom Siren, my dad Owe'n, my cousin Harlow, and Jaeger. Plus, Aunt Debbie takes fantastic pictures, and my sleepover was no exception.
Harlow and I raced through the tall grass . . .
. . . practiced synchronized jumping . . .
. . . and played keep-away from Jaeger!

After my parents finished their exams, I got to come home to Baltimore. With the new enforcement of the leash laws, my mom has to be a bit more resourceful in finding places and ways to exercise me. One of the best ways is to take really, really long walks around the Harbor. Depending on our route, we walk anywhere between one to five miles. We stop at different parks for about ten minutes here and there so that I can run off-leash, but then it's back to the walk. I'm enjoying myself and am in better shape than usual. My mom says it's because I'm being forced to move instead of stopping to eat sticks.

My mom really shouldn't complain so much. Eating a few sticks here and there obviously didn't hurt me that much because . . .
. . . I won Best Bitch at a conformation show in Manassas, VA! More points towards my championship! This is a picture of me with my Aunt Melissa. She's one of my most favorite people.

My littermate Rocky won Best of Breed. A one-two punch for the Captivatin' crew! Rocky is so gorgeous and successful that there should be "Rocky-licious fan club." Even though he is my brother, I would totally join!

When I got back from my shows, I found out that my aunt Emily had moved into our house. I wasn't so sure who she was or why she was there. I mean, having her there changed everything: my parents took my bed out of the office, Emily stole my spot on the sofa when we watched TV, and she even came with us on our walks! But, over time, I got to like her, especially because she would give me food when my mom and dad weren't looking (yummy!). She didn't stay very long because she had to start a new job, but it was nice to have her visit.

I saved the biggest (worst) news for last: two weeks ago, my dad left to take a graduate class and attend a conference in Hong Kong. My mom thought that I would stop missing my dad after a day or so, but I've been a wreck. I can't eat; I can't sleep. I just miss him all the time. Every time I hear a someone "beep" their car to lock it, I think it's him and run to the door. I cry and whine and cry for him to come in the door, but when my mom opens it, there isn't anyone there. My mom talks to him everyday on the computer, so I get to hear his voice and see him on the computer screen. But every time I try to give him a kiss, this weird flat glass thing gets in the way. I can't wait for him to come home so I can give him a real kiss.
And I'm giving you fair warning dad, the kiss will probably end up in your mouth. I mean, a girl can only hold out for so long!

Outlaw

My parents love our house because we can walk to THREE different parks.

Baltimore has always had a law against off-leash dogs, but it was rarely enforced unless someone called the police to complain. Even then, the officers would come and usually only give out a warning to put the dogs back on leads. The police like dog walkers because we deter crime and make their jobs easier.

HOWEVER . . .

In April, the City Council of Baltimore City increased the fine for off-leash dogs from $100 to $1,000,
AND they started enforcing the law.

Dog owners of Baltimore City are pretty upset--some are mad (rightly so)--and are acting to rectify the situation. We have met with our Councilman, signed petitions, and the Council has agreed to revisit the issue. They will be voting on whether to reduce the fine on Tuesday, May 12, 2009.

In the meantime . . .

My parents take me on long walks and jogs to the Inner Harbor, which means a exercise-break at Rita's Water Ice for a doggie treat (soft-serve ice cream with a dog biscuit). We've also been frequenting some bigger nature parks in the surrounding counties. I've gone on long walks with my Aunt Debbie.

And, on some special, secret times, my mom lets me (dare I say it?) . . .

OFF-LEASH to play ball!!!!!

In my defense, my friend Eleanore did it first!

Plus, the cops patrolling the park that day said it was ok.

I am Laila, outlaw of Baltimore City.

Meet Diamond and Havoc!

At just nine weeks old, Vizsla puppy littermates from HRQ's Guess Who litter -- Diamond and Havoc -- have joined the V-blogging world.

Diamond has already started taking the world by storm with kisses and cuddles. Plus, she has already ridden in an airplane and tried out an agility tunnel. I will admit that I am a little partial since she is my cousin, but Diamond is super cute! You can follow her adventures on a blog that her mom and dad help her to write called the Diamond Dog Blog.

Her brother Havoc recently took up residence with one of my favorite V-blogging friends, Gabby (and her Dobe sister, Flirt). Havoc is full of energy and wears his dad out, but his mom has already started training him to be the rock star that he was born to be. You can watch his new big sisters show him the ropes on Gabby's blog Being Gabalicious.

Full and fat

While my mom and dad ate dinner in the other room, I helped myself to the last (and biggest) piece of grilled chicken that was left on the kitchen counter. I didn't have time to chew, so I ate it in one big piece like a bird . . .

gulp, gulp, gulp!

It seemed like a good idea at the time, but now I'm not so sure.

Anyone have Mylanta?

No shut eye

This is my street.

And this is why I don't get to nap during the day.

Chapter Six: Lookin' Good

SPA TIME!!!

The first item on the agenda was a coconut-scented bubble bath and shampoo.

So relaxing. Plus, the massaging rub-downs after my baths are heavenly.

I highly recommend getting the post-bath cuddle package.

Then, it was downstairs for a mani-pedi with my dad (which is weird because usually my mom finishes up my beauty routine). I know my mom had a migraine, but you'd think you'd send me to a real nail salon. Are you *sure* you know what you're doing, dad?

The next morning, I woke up looking, smelling, and feeling fantastic!
Look at that hot tamale! Oh, wait, that's me!!

I also got to see my brother Rocky. He is almost as good-looking as me!
I know this isn't a very good picture, but it's the best one I got. Apparently, my beauty was too much for my brother Rocky to handle.