We Had a VERY QUIET Weekend around here!

Teka Napped

I spent a lot of time looking Cute!

Teka kept getting between me and the camera

I got Dad a REALLY COOL tie with my Pay Pal money!

And I Napped too!

But my pals Butchy and Snickers made a really cute slideshow. To see it, go to their web site at http://butchyandsnickers.blogspot.com/ and look for a familiar face in the mix of handsome hounds!

Not So Bad

We left the house earlier than usual this morning, plus it is Friday, and I don't always go to the store on Friday. But I was hoping that there was a big sale today, and then muzzer would need my help with crowd control and loss prevention.We drove in the right direction but pulled into the wrong parking lot. What is muzzer thinking??? Oh, I recognize this place. This is where the groomer lives! Damn. And I thought it was going to be such a good day.

We went in and said good morning to Donna, who is my favorite groomer in Azrizona. I also have a favorite groomer in Virginia, but I don't see her often any more. And of course there were lots of other doggies getting beautiful for the weekend. So muzzer told me to be good and she would come back for me later.

Yeah, I'll bet. She is going to have fun without me. I know. But I like the big tubs at the groomer shop and I like the warm air inside, so doggies don't catch cold. (Hint: Muzzer, turn the heat up next time we shower please!) And I can catch up on the doggie gossip here too.

I had a delightful morning. Got my bath and comb out, got clipped and scissored, had my nails done...and Oh, yeah Cubby...this groomer doesn't do foo-foo bows except if you request them, and my muzzer knows better. On the way back to the shop I had muzzer do the drive through at Wendy's (no trans fat, you know) and had the chicken bits from the value meal menu. It works up a mighty hunger getting groomed, you know.

Here is my photo back at the shop, checking out the sales figures for the day. Notice my nice saddle and all my freckles. See my noble profile? This is my better side!
Here is my other better side. Muzzer says I look like a Bedlington Terrier because they didn't trim my face right, but I still think I am quite handsome.
Now, this is NOT my better side, but Muzzer says it will make Mackie feel better, 'cause my rear is most likely fatter than his. Anything for the terriers.

I had a quiet afternoon, took a nap at the shop and then came home to terrierize Teka. Guess I'll turn in early and get my beauty sleep. Tomorrow I am taking muzzer shopping for a treadmill so I can do my Snickercise class.

Uh Oh, I think "g" day is tomorrow

I heard Dad say something to Muzzer about tomorrow morning. She is "dropping Gussie off" on her way to work! Dropping me off WHERE?? WHY?? The only thing I can figure out is that tomorrow is the day I get Groomed.

Teka and I are trying to decide whether getting groomed is worth a prison break attempt. We could probably overpower muzzer on our walkies in the morning. It is dark and she is sleepy. We can wind both leashes around her legs and get away when she untangles us.

But I am not sure I want to run away.

Anyway, I got a microchip thingy, so they would just bring me back. And muzzer would be mad. That is definitely worse than being groomed. She holds a grudge like no one else in this family. Just ask Dad.

Anyway, I will try to get my rest tonight and see what the morning brings. I know that when I go to the store, I can get extra treats from the "other" Barb because I will be beautiful! Might be worth it.

Looking forward to being able to see again

Gussie

Muzzer said a dirty word!

I heard muzzer on the phone today. She was talking to the groomer!! She said I was looking like a little lost lamb, and I gotta get groomed. I hate being groomed.

Do you remember that time she took me to a "new" groomer because she bid on a package at some kind of charity affair???

Well, I looked way worse than my pal Bussie, and he has taken to hiding behind doors

Here is the picture of me NEKKID! If you look really close, you can see my pink puppy skin through my few remaining furs! Now, I kinda think my friend Joe Stains has been zaggerating about the weather here, but I ask you..."If you were my best friend in the world, would you shave me nekkid during the coldest time of the year?"

NO. So, Please vote in the comment section that Gussie should not have to see the groomer until spring has come.

TEKA should see the groomer. She needs a manicure! She needs a full body massage with bubbles! She needs a foo-foo bow on her neck.

NOT GUSSIE! TELL MUZZER IT IS UNFAIR!

Plus, she deducts this groomer thing from my wages at the store, and I already ordered a tie for my Dad on my store charge. Oh. Woe is me! I will be an indentured servant for MONTHS.

From Muzzer's E-mail

Dog Pack Kills Alligator In Florida

At times nature can be cruel, but there is also a raw beauty, and even a certain justice manifested within that cruelty.

The alligator, one of the oldest and ultimate predators, normally considered the apex predator in its natural eco-system, can still fall victim to implemented team work strategy, made possible by the tight knit social structure and survival of the fittest pack mentality bred into canines over the last thousands of years by natural selection.

See the remarkable photograph attached, courtesy of Nature Magazine.

Note that the Alpha dog has a muzzle hold on the gator preventing it from breathing, while the remainder of the pack prevents the beast from rolling.

Beware! This is not for the squeamish! Scroll down for photo.......













Yah...got me, too.

update on that Jewel dog!

My muzzer came home from work today and said that Jewel went and got herself groomed today. I think she was so embarrassed by her pictures that she went to get beautiful. Pictures tomorrow, as muzzer forgot the camera today.,

A day at the store.

Well, I promised I would take the camera along today and get muzzer to take some pictures of my store. (hey, whose store is this?) So, this is the view out of my window as we drive up in the morning. OUR store is the one partially hidden by the tree. We got there early this morning, so I had plenty of time to get my photo shoot started.

Anyway, this next picture shows my quiet corner behind the counter. Here I have access to the computer and printer, can help people with items from the jewelry case, and keep an eye on the cash register when muzzer gets distracted. Shown here, I am enjoying my in store rawhide chew, which lasts longer than the ones at home, since I have more things to keep me busy.

The next picture shows what I do in my "off" time at the store. I figure that on a good day, I can nap for about 3 hours, in short snatches. This is the ideal job for a wire who enjoys keeping busy, but knows how important it is to conserve energy.

These are my two very favorite bushes, one in front, and one behind the store. Walkies are pretty limited, but the basic employee rights and comforts are taken care of. I even scared up a cat one day under the bush pictured below. Ever since then, it has been the first place I check for adventure when I arrive at work.

Ah yes, speaking of adventure. The little black and white oreo of a dog in this portrait is Jewel. She works next door at Berning's Fine Jewelry, along with her pal Bernie a super tiny Yorkie, who was AWOL today for the picture taking session.

Now, I know that some of you out there are thinking "Gus, what a cute little number this Jewel is. Do you guys get together for drinks after work, meet up on the weekend at the dog park?" My friends, let me tell you, my life at the store would be much simpler if Jewel did not come in every day. She thinks she OWNS the whole complex. She barks at me, she tries to bite me, when we meet up by accident, she snarls and lunges. She has no desire to be friends, she wants to rip my heart out.

Don'tbe fooled by her innocent expression and demeanor. She even visits my store when I am not there, and holds my muzzer up for protection treats. And on days when I am in the store, my muzzer or her friend Barb have to deliver treats for Jewel at least three times a day, or Jewel has threatened to come in and rough me up. So, my job protecting muzzer and the store is a difficult and complex one. That is why I am wrapping up this blog entry and crawling into the big bed with Dad. We are going to watch a movie on TCM.

Night all

Gussie

Not much, you?

This is the tagline from muzzer's very least favorite NPR show. But it pretty much sums up what has been going on around here. I liked it better when we were itinerant gypsies, wandering the US and staying at all those great hotels. The Crowne Plaza in DC was my most favoritist. But I liked the Doubletrees pretty good too. Especially the one in Charlottesville where I found out about room service! Heaven!

Muzzer says maybe we will go on a trip this summer. That is not soon enough. I am campaigning for a trip to Flagstaff or Prescott, where I understand they have some snow. All my blogging pals from Iowa east have snow. Why can't I have snow? Azrizona is unfair to Wires!

Me and Teka are still on strike, so we haven't gotten any cute poses recently, but I am going to let muzzer take pictures at the store tomorrow so you can see my corner nap spot and the little dog next door who barks at me a lot. She is jealous! She likes my store best because muzzer keeps good treats, but she can't come in when I am there 'cause she attacked me! Serves her right. Otherwise, we could be good buds and play a lot.

More apologies are in order to Butchy and Miss Snickers, who dropped off my link list and into cyber space sometime between blogger 1 and Beta-the monster blogger. We are fixing it tonight! Sorry a thousand times, cause their blog is one of my favorites, because it has pictures of Miss Snickers in her workout clothes. Also, Butchy pictures, which are not bad.

G'night

More tomorrow

Just catching up!

I went to work today, so I am pretty tired. Greeting people can be a big job, you know. And I get to sniff all sorts of other dogs on the people who come to the store. I'm pretty important, I have my own corner behind the counter where I can take a few breaks during the quiet time. I have a furry bed and some toys and a couple of chew bones. I have dog dishes and food, treats in the back room, and some great bushes outside. But it still is not HOME. And there is NO couch! I have put that in the suggestion box every day that I have worked, and muzzer still does not do anything about it. She and I must have a serious meeting about this. I am a valued employee and I know what the store needs to be successful.

Enough of my soap box stuff. I have prevailed on muzzer to add Pappy's blog address to our link list, and do a couple of other "clean up" things. Pappy and his Fella have our apologies for being so remiss.

We finally took the dogs with blogs cards down at the store today and brought them home. We are keeping them in the drawer with my puppy papers and my old leash that I brought with me when I came to live with this family. That's a safe place, plus it is the bottom drawer and I can get them out and look at them when I want to.

My blogging buddy Joe Stains has been complaining about the weather here in Tempe. He only lives a few miles from me, so it can't be much colder at his house than it is here at ours. I think he and Tanner must have less fur than I do. It is not as cold now as it got last year in Virginia, even though muzzer does insist on gloves when we go walkies. It is just sort of brisk and cheery out in the mornings. I am wearing my sweaters when we go out, but that is just because I get lots of compliments. I'm not really cold. Nope, not me.

I am turning in early tonight. This working for a living does make a guy tired. Keep warm, keep dry, and don't take any wooden dog bones!

Hugs are good in cold weather, and kisses too

Gus

A Growing Girl

Well Friends, it was chilly again this morning (30 degrees in Azrizona!) and Muzzer was back on walkies detail.

Gotta tell you, she is a lot more alert at that hour than Dad, and usually in a better mood too! So, she decided that it would be a good day for Teka to wear her pink coat, and I could wear my sweater. (Teka ate hers, remember?)

So, we tugged and pulled and got me into my sweater. Then it was time to put on Teka's pink coat. Muzzer put it around Teka's neck and fastened it under her pointy little chin. Then she smoothed out the saddle part, and took the little belt thingy, and attempted to make it meet under Teka's mid section.

Ooops! It no longer fits! Teka has gained some weight since Travis left. Probably pining for her heart-throb and eating her way through her grief. TeeHeeHee! I told her I wasn't eating all my dog food. Now she knows I was truthing.

Admittedly this is not one of those customized numbers from Snitchy Bug like our friend Maggie has. It came from the big red bulls eye place. But the label says "SMALL" and we thought Teka should be a SMALL dog. She's a Jack Russell, right? All those chart things say that Jack Russells are SMALL dogs. The little coat fit her when she wore it for her picture with Travis. And she still has a nicely defined waist, and no chubby cheeks or fat tail. Muzzer is per-plexed.

And, we have a nice little pink and white dotty coat for a small dog in need of one. But it better be very, very, very small. Or maybe it will fit a nice female hamsterrier friend of FuFu.

That's our adventure for today folks. Gotta go bark at the cat across the street.

A chilly morn in Azrizona

Hi: Gussie Here! It has been damp and chilly here. It was foggy when Dad walked us this morning, and he was grumping because Teka had us out before 6:00 am. Saturdays are the day muzzer gets to play rollover, so Dad got the leash!

Anyway, we came back and all of us had our breakfast and then Dad said. OK guys, I'm heading back to bed.

So while muzzer took her shower and got ready to go to the store, Dad climbed into the big bed and turned on NPR (that's National Pet Radio, you know) Me and Teka decided that Dad is the guy in the family with the most letters behind his name, so he must know what is good. Right?

Anyway, we joined him in the bed and all of us were very cozy.

Sneaky muzzer must've had that camera in the bathroom with her, because she had the nerve to snap our picture.

"HaHa" said muzzer. "Now you can blog about how you spend your morning, Gussie"

So I did.

Hope you like the picture. Dad is ticked.

love

Gussie and Teka

What's Up?

Having just completed my second survey of the day, I have decided that blogdom is caught in the doldrums! The only high spot is Ivy's New Game, which is great and fun. Even my pal Pappy has not posted. Now, I know that my life is pretty dull, consisting of walk, eat, tussle, sleep, tussle, sleep, eat, tussle, sleep. Big excitement is going to work at the store or getting a bath. Even Teka has slowed down! Joe Stains is reduced to posting old photos. Axel hasn't done anything since Friday. Mackie has a nice poem, but generally, it is pretty boring out here.

So, I am taking a survey to see what I should do to liven things up! You are welcome to vote or suggest alternates on the comments section.


1. Let Teka get loose again so Muzzer can chase her in a towel.


2. Say something outrageously dogist like Wally does every once in a while.


3. Print baby pictures of my sister E.Rabbit.


4. Talk Muzzer and Dad into a weekend trip so I have some new places to talk about.


5. Get Muzzer to work on my Delta certification so I can work for her friend Gabriel in his program.


6. Bite Dr. Tom next time he sticks his finger in my face


7. Embarrass muzzer at the store by peeking under the curtains in the dressing rooms.


8. Start another round of dog blog tag.



Ok, that's all the options I can think of, so you guys take it from there.

Otherwise, I'll be reduced to reporting menus or something.

love

Gussie

This is my favorite picture from my favorite walk in Lexington, VA.
See what I am reduced to doing! Amuse me, please, before I do something REALLY outrageous.

Dogs On Strike!

Me and Teka are on Strike! Muzzer is Unfair! We have been denied access to the big, loud tub, and routinely subjected to the ritual abuse known as "the shower." We are not allowing any "cute" pictures until Muzzer lets us use the big loud tub. With Bubbles!

We apologize to our many fans, but a dog has to do what a dog has to do.

respectfully
Gus Dagger, wft
Teka Toy Dagger, jrt

What's for Dinner?

My pal Joe Stains has been telling us what he and his brother Tanner get to eat, and there has been a lot of discussion of food on some of my blogdog sites recently. So, Teka and I decided to let you know what we had for dinner tonight!

Sundays are kind of special around here, 'cause muzzer has a chance to plan the meal, instead of just doing it without notes or rehearsal. Plus, she usually cooks enough for two people, and she only eats for about 3/4 of a person. That means there are leftovers! Ususally enough for two dogs to share.

Tonight the menu was:

Orange roughy stuffed with cheddar, brocolli and crab meat

Baked potatoes

Petit Pois with tiny onions

White wine with bubbles (a decent Proseco, and the dogs didn't get any!)

Now, unfortunately, muzzer did not take a picture BEFORE we got to the dog dishes. But this is what they looked like AFTER!

And, Sundays are when muzzer grocery shops and brings back treats for the terriers. Today, Teka got a really cute t-shirt, actually from the baby department, and I got a great big bone! Teka gets her bone tomorrow when I go to work with Muzzer, so don't waste too much time feeling sorry for her. Plus, she will have mine before the evening is over!

This and That

Hey, I know that I neglected to post pictures of our Christmas stuff, so I am playing catch-up here.

First are the pictures of all the Dogs with Blogs Christmas cards we got. We had to take them to muzzer's store to put up, because Teka was jealous of all my cards and tried to eatt them. All my favorite customers (the ones who bring treats) think they are "so cute" and "darling" and "sweet." I just think it is awesome that there are so many different ones from so many different places, and expecially the really crafty ones, given us wires mostly don't have 'posable thumbs.

Then this next picture is muzzer's present from E.Rabbit! It is a Hercule Poirot mystery on DVD, and there is a Wire Fox Terrier in it that looks like me at my very most shaggiest. The wire, of course, solves the mystery for Poirot. Muzzer loves it! I love it. Teka does not like it at all because it does not have a JRT in it. Too Bad. Quality Tells! However, it is called "Dumb Witness" and I think that is not very nice to the little dog who solves the mystery. But it is still a good movie.

Now we will show you muzzer's most favorite of all her presents! She grabbed it up when it came into her store and did not even let any customers see it! I told her, I said "Muzzer, you know that is against the rules! Minimum 24 hours on the floor before an employee can purchase an item." She said to hush up, because there have to be some perks to owning a clothing store. I g-barked and g-barked at her, but she did not change her mind! She let me buy it for her with my credits for working in the store.

So, now she feels very guilty. But I like the sweater, and I think the terriers look like me and my blogging pals. I told her she can put it on e-bay and donate the money to terrier rescue where they got me, but so far, I don't see her posting it. He he. Never happen.

The little dog on the picture right below is on the back. It is a cute sweater, and very warm. If we all guilt her enough, she might get it posted pretty soon. Then we can help other terriers. Right! I would be happy to share my muzzer's new sweater with someone else so a few terriers could find new forever homes.

Dad got a lot of boring St. Louis Cardinals stuff. E.Rabbit got DVDs and pajamas and money, and E.Beth got pretty much the same things. I think Muzzer did not spend much time on Christmas gifts for anyone but me!

I got lots of stuff. Unfortunately Teka and I have killed and dismembered all of our stuffies. We have nearly destroyed a new ballistic cloth frisbee. Teka killed her sweater. We have both eaten our bones. We have both eaten the carob dipped cookies from Three Dog. We have eaten all the treats in our stockings, and Teka ate her stocking. And two of muzzer's.

I think that brings you up to date on our desert Christmas. Hope the New Year is treating you right. Oh, and may I be the first to wish Joe Stains a happy birthday, whatever day it turns out to be.

I Resolve!

I have been tagged by my buddy, Mackie. This time I need to make five (5) resolutions and tag 5(five) friends in return.

I have been putting this off all day. I am not sure that I can write expository, non-rhyming prose any longer. I have been rhyming for so long I fear it has become a permanent genre for me. But, this makes my first resolution much easier!

1. I resolve to write my resolutions down NOW, and not lick my paws until they are bloody.

2. I resolve to help muzzer at the store. I will not sleep behind the counter waiting for my special friends to come in to visit. (those are the ones who bring treats!) I will greet all customers like my job description says .

3. I resolve to help muzzer keep Teka in line. No more laughing at Teka when she pees on the floor. No more egging Teka on to get the hole dug under the fence. No more monkey business.

4. I resolve to wear my seat harness in the car, and not escape from it to ride in the front seat.

5. I resolve to help my sister E.Rabbit finish her dissertation.

Whew.

That was easier than I thought it would be. Many thanks to Mackie for providing the theme for the first prose post in more than a month.

And, I am off to tag Ivy, Pappy, Wally, Axel and Bogie.

Happy New Year, y'all

Gus and Teka