Dear Harry n’ Keely,
Stephen took me up to the dog park after breakfast, and I romped with two of my buddies. My Doberman friend has a funny sounding name that means “memory of God”. She is more advanced in training than just about any other dog in the park. She holds a stay command while her favorite ball is thrown behind her. She sits and downs on voice command from 20 yards away. Her mom says her family has been training Dobies for 60 years. Stephen and Kathy aspire to the same level from me, but sometimes I have puppy surges and forget Stephen’s name, Kathy’s name, my name, or any of my commands. Nonetheless, I am enjoying my childhood and am, as I write from my iBone, in a 30 minute down-stay command.
Stephen and Kathy waited until after the dog park to give me a warm water bath in the sunshine, just like they do at Hidden Lake. I snuggle with Kathy and make sure she gets as wet as I do. I’m not so wild about the cold water hose baths, so, they fill a big cooler with warm+ water and pour it over my fur by the pitcher full. That’s kinda nice. Then I get combed out a bunch of times to dislodge the puppy fuzz that hides underneath my big boy fur. As soon as they were done I bolted down the stairs to roll in the dirt and sand under the stairs, but alas, I was on lead. Momma wasn’t having any of that.
The long stay command isn’t so bad. I get a treat every five minutes or so, and get to write you until I’m done staying. Maybe I’ll get an uber treat when I’m all done: ice cubes! They are the best. Auntie Diane gives them to me, too. She said she loves to hear me crunch them.
Kathy told Stephen she laid out my dog toy box, treats, food, supplements, and training collar on the bench downstairs. I wish I knew where that was; I’d have tip toed down there to eat it all already.
I am up to date on all my vaccinations, and have already had my Heartworm chew toy for February. I go to the veterinarian across from Mark’s Place in the Puhi industrial center. After I get snuggled by my vet, (she has two 160lb Great Danes), I get to sit at the outdoor table at Mark’s Place and hope beyond hope that Stephen or Kathy will drop something they’re eating.
If I have a puppy surge and manage to wriggle out of my collar, I am AKC registered and part of the AKC Reunite program.
AKC’s ibone # is: 800-252-7894.
I am also "micro-chipped”, whatever that means. Humans run a Star Trek like gizmo over my neck every now and then to read my number.
Don’t tell anyone I told you this, but I’m not so sure about going down those back stairs at night to go shi-shi. Stephen and Kathy leave the stair lights on at night for me. Kathy just turned those back on for me even though it’s day time. I can go back up just fine, but when I look down and see the ground under the stairs, I pause.
Kathy has her hands all in my mouth because she says it’s her “prerogative”, whatever that means. She wants to teach me to have a gentle mouth, but good grief, I am a cattle herding, cart pulling working dog breed. I am getting much better at being gentle with my teeth, but for now, only kisses. Sigh.
My bedtime mat is up on the back lanai, but when I figure out the parents have left the house for the night I may want to come to the downstairs lanai, so Kathy is bringing mat #2 down there for me. I don’t understand why they would ever go away for a night. Kathy says I can vocalize like a Siamese cat when I am lamenting, but whatever is going on, I know I am at home, with my pack. So all is well.
Yogi F. Von Kinghaus
PS: Stephen and Kathy are going to a memorial service on Oahu for a dear friend and colleague. They’re packing their SANS badges. Seems kinda silly to me. I wear all my badges on my collar, but hey, they’re humans.
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