Iggy's tips for the day: Breathe thru what scares you & take time for belly rubs

Some of you may be aware of an invention called television and on television they show shows...

I have seen TV. We have one at our house. But here's a secret you may not know...people don't really live in that box on the wall. huh...well, I learn something new every day! literally...

One day back in February I learned that people from TV come with lots and lots of equipment. The people seemed nice, the equipment seemed, well, a little scary. I wasn't too sure about what was going on. But everything worked out OK.

That's another thing I have learned...when I am unsure about things...if I just keep breathing, I can get through it and I am just fine, in fact I am better because I get a little more brave with each new experience.

As we head into warmer weather, I just wanted to share a video of me Enjoying a sunny day!

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Happy Birthday to Me!!

So I guess M-guy and M-gal said that I just had my Estimated Birthday on Tuesday! They said it was estimated because they don't really know when I was born. I could tell them, but I don't like to think about those days, so I'm gonna start fresh and have my Estimated Birthday be my Real Birthday from now on.

M-guy seemed a little preoccupied and busy with other stuff, but that's okay because he gave me extra treats and told me he'd make it up to me this weekend with a fun late birthday outing. Also, since it was my birthday and he couldn't take me anywhere special, he let me sleep in bed with him and M-gal! That rocked!! M-guy kept waking up sometimes because he didn't have sheets covering him the whole way. For some reason he wasn't able to move them, so since I was already up there on the sheets next to him, I made sure to curl up real close to him and not move to try and keep him warm, since the sheets obviously weren't doing the trick. If he were smart, he would totally keep me up in bed to do this more often. M-gal made me special home baked doggie treats shaped like bones too! M-guy slipped me an extra one while the other dogs weren't looking. Mmmmmm......yum..............

H

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This is Getting Difficult

A few weeks ago we started going to a new school in a different place where there are NO pit bulls. Wow, it's weird not to see other pit bulls at school! The class is for something called Rally-O. If I am good I can get more letters after my name, to go after the "CGC".

We started out doing normal class stuff like walking at heel, sitting, waiting, doing downs and walking around cones. After a while the lady in charge put up all these little pieces of paper and we had to read them to figure out the next command. My favorite is this one that says "fast", I am an expert at fast!


Then it started to get hard.

This sign is really tough. My mom and I got kind of mixed up with it, but the nice lady helped us figure it out and by the end of the class we got it almost completely right on the practice course. We practice in the evenings before dinner, which I like a lot. I love getting treats for being smart and then I get to be all wild and crazy and run around.



The lady in charge says I am a really great dog (duh!). She likes it when I get really happy and excited and bounce and crash into my mom's legs when we heel. This new class is really fun because I have to think a lot, and reading the signs is making me smarter. I also really like that since we've been taking rally classes my mom and I understand each other better. I've always listened to her, but now I can see that there are more things she's telling me, like which direction we're going to go. If I watch carefully I know what we're doing next before she even says anything! I'm going to keep studying hard, I want to know about more of the signs so we have more fun stuff to practice.


This is a good sit and look - more treats, please!

hugs,
Uba

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Hey Everybody!

Springtime is sure niiiice, just like my friend Audie said. Now that it's warm, I like to hang out with my Man and Lady in the back yard. They're working on a part called The Roses, and my Lady got real unhappy because she said we have a go-for there. And the go-for is doing something funny to her plants! Uh oh! I didn't know what go-for was until I took a big sniff of a nice hole by her flowers. Then I remembered--- that guy! Well I sure went looking for him so he wouldn't eat any more plants. I looked all over in The Roses, I looked in the bulbs, I looked on the hill (three times!), in the grass, and by the deck. I'm not sure my Lady liked my looking. She said I made an awful lot of holes. But here's me when I was done digging, and nobody scolded me because they said I looked Too Happy. Yup. It's nice to be Too Happy in the sun!

Love,

Ernie

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The Napa Valley in Spring

Today we went on a short drive to the Napa Valley. She wanted me to have the chance to walk in the vineyards and to see bud break. I didn’t really care about all that, but the air smelled sweet so I closed my eyes and I drank it all in.

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I Passed Again!

So a little while ago, M-Guy and M-Gal took me out one night. We came to a place called a nursing home and he told me that I had to be a good boy so I could pass my Therapy Dog test. What's with all these tests that I have to pass? Isn't it obvious by now that I'm a good boy? Sheeeesh! I guess all dogs have to pass this one though if they want to go visit people in nursing homes and hospitals. That sounds like it would lead to some fun adventures and more places for me to check out, so I guess I'm down with that.

It was a lot like that Doggie Good Something-or-other test, or whatever it was called. M-Guy and these other folks threw me some curve balls on this one though. There were treats I had to walk past without eating, a bunch of ladies yelling, screaming and acting crazy, and the kitchen was at the end of the hall with people pushing carts in and out banging pots and pans together. To top it off, one time we had to walk the other way down the hall while the crazy ladies ran past us, all rowdy like, with a corgi riding in a chair with wheels! The only thing I want to know is how did the corgi get that gig? I want that job next time! It looked a lot more fun than having to walk nicely next to M-Guy through the whole thing.

Anyway, I passed another test again, so I can become a Therapy Dog now. Everybody there kept saying how good I was, and how handsome I am. DUH! What else did they expect from the Handsome Hector? That place was pretty fun, so hopefully I get to go back soon to visit the folks staying there. Hey M-Guy! I didn't help you and M-Gal out around the house that much before this test like I did last time, but don't worry.....I made up for it. I cleared off M-Gal's night stand, and cleaned the kitchen counters for ya. No need to thank me! Just an FYI.

H - Oh....and by the way, I made the Rochester paper again also! Check it out

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I got a brother!

I’m not sure how they knew, but the people here got me just what I have been wishing for…a new dog! And it wasn't even my birthday! I love him. His name is Benny. We are best buddies.

I know I said before that I take time to warm up to new things, but I knew I liked Benny from the moment I saw him. They crated him across the room from me and I whined on and off for two days until they moved him right next to me...hey those tiny, little people who visit are right...whinning does work!

When he first got here they were calling him "compassion case" and now they are calling him "foster dog"...I don't know what any of those words mean, but it must be sorta like "big dork" or somethin' if Benny is one. Anyway, we have the best time together and his busted pelvis doesn't slow him down at all...(don't worry it's an old injury and it doesn't hurt him anymore) just makes him walk a little funny.

I also wanted to tell all my buddies who have gotten their CGC...CONGRATULATIONS! I am so proud of you guys...

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