Tag: Dog

Demystifying the CGC

The AKC has a test that it offers that any dog, be they purebred, mixed breed or unidentifiable, can take. It’s called the CGC, or Canine Good Citizen test. Its sole purpose is to serve as proof to you and other dog owners that you have been through a training class with your dog and that your dog is well-behaved in public. A lot of dog owners seem to think this test is very hard. It’s really not! It’s not intended to be difficult. Your dog is still going to be a dog, whether you take this test or not. I highly recommend taking a class before taking this test and I also highly recommend that, even if you think your dog won’t pass, you take this test anyway. Doing the class that prepares you for the CGC in the environment where you’ll be taking the test is the best way to set your dog up for success.… [Read More]

Mugen’s 1st Birthday

Wow… it’s been a whole year.

As I write this and look down at my feet, I see a 70 pound hunka chocolate love that was minutes ago running around my house at top speed after a green squeaky ball that makes a noise that sounds so distinctive that it has become known as “The Farty Ball”. There are two such balls in my house, both will send my chocolate chunk into a dive bombing frenzy the second they appear in the hands of a human.

His happiness over these kinds of things… makes my days worth waking up to.

The last year has been hard for us as a family, but I want to celebrate today as the first birthday of my best friend and confidant. Mugen always has a hug for me when I need it, he even knows that when I go to sit down in a couple of spots, I sit there because I’m feeling sad or bored and he will come join me, plant his butt next to my hip and lay his head on my shoulder and wait for my arms to wrap around him.… [Read More]

Oh no! Not… DIRT!!!

So… the fence is in. Hubby and I are very pleased with it. We have to decide what color to stain it so that it doesn’t clash with our neighbor’s lovely chocolate brown fence.

I have been so excited. I should have taken Lucy and Mugen out on lead… but I didn’t. I was too excited. I opened the back door and they took off like shots. Lucy, of course, headed straight to the areas of the yard that she knew would take her out of the yard and none of them worked. She was confused by this… but then she started running around all over the place and had such a huge doggie smile. I wish that I could have found my camera. It was wonderful to see her being a dog.

Mugen did much the same, but he found STUFF in the yard. Stuff that had been lost when my children were very, very small.… [Read More]

The Morning Freak Out

I’m not sure why, but my entire family has been missing Reilly very hard this week. Yesterday, I dusted his commemorative dog bowl. His collar had dust on it and when I grabbed the leather lotion and a cloth… I just started crying. When my son came home, he said to me, without me having mentioned a word to him about my feelings, “Mom, I really miss Reilly today for some reason. I’ve been missing him all week.” My husband voiced similar feelings while cooking dinner and fending Mugen off of his pant leg. At one point, he bent down and put an arm around Mugen and said, “I’m used to there being a dog under foot, but you’re supposed to stay on the ground and sniff at the edge of the counter and then sit and wag your tail at me… and then I’m supposed to give you a piece of chicken when Mom’s not looking.”… [Read More]

Dog Fart!

I’ve had to adjust the routine since Lucy came home. It’s been rough actually but any time you have to settle into a new routine, it’s hard. So I get up at 6 am. I have the daughter attempt to take Lucy out, which does not work, for some reason, Lucy will only do her business when I’m standing outside with her which I am totally okay with now that I’ve realized it, but my kids would take her out and would forget to tell me that she didn’t go. You can imagine what a fiasco this has been.… [Read More]